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COFITBIGHT DEPOSIT 



TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS 



JEFFERSON DAVIS 

AND 

ROBERT E. LEE 



BY 

A. C. WHITEHEAD, A.M. 

EAST END SCHOOL, ATLANTA, GA. 




MEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI •:• CHICAGO 

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 



>J^> 



Copyright, 1912, by 
A. C. WHITEHEAD. 

Entered at Stationers' Hall, London. 



TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS. 

w. p. I 



©CI.A30551 



PREFACE 

The primary aim of this book is to acquaint 
the children of the South with the goodness and 
grandeur of the lives of two of her noblest sons. 

The suggestion for the work came from a report 
of the Library Committee of the School Officials 
of Georgia, who urged that some one write the life of 
Jefferson Davis for use in the Southern schools. 
Not only was Davis a leading figure in the South- 
ern Confederacy, but he played an important part 
in his time in our national life. He was a man of 
high ideals and lofty ambitions. Of the goodness 
and purity of General Lee there can be no question. 
It seems, therefore, especially fitting that the stories 
of the President of the Confederacy and of his 
Commander in Chief should be given together. 

All points of controversy and sectional feeling 
have been avoided. It is a time when the whole 
nation is laying aside discussion of such topics, 
a time when North and South are each realizing 
and acknowledging that in the Great Trial each 
was faithful to duty. 

The author's thanks are due to Professor Carl W. 
Steed of Mercer University and to Dr. W. F. 
Melton of Emory College for valuable criticisms 

and corrections. 

A. C. W. 
3 



LIFE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS 



CHAHTEF 
I. 


The Davis Family .... 






PAGE 

9 


II. 


Birth and Boyhood .... 






I '' 


III. 


In School and College 






15 


IV. 


At West Point ..... 






19 


V. 


The Young Officer .... 






23 


VI. 


In the West 






30 


VII. 


The Planter and Politician 






38 


VIII. 


The Soldier Again .... 






42 


IX. 


At Buena Vista 






49 


X. 


The United States Senator 






55 


XI. 


The Secretary of War 






57 


XII. 


The Senator Again .... 






61 


XIII. 


President of the Confederate States 






65 


XIV. 


The Close of the Civil War . 






72 


XV. 


Beauvoir 






76 



LIFE OF ROBERT E. LEE 

CHAPTER PAGE 

1. The Lee Family 87 

II. Birth and Boyhood 92 

III. The Cadet 96 

IV. The Engineer ........ 98 

V. The Captain of Engineers 102 

VI. At Home 115 

VII. The Cavalry Officer 127 

VIII. The Confederate General (1861-1862) . . . 135 

IX. The Confederate General (1863) .... 148 

X. The Confederate General (1864-1865) . . .158 

XI. The College President 173 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 



Jefferson Davis 8 

Birthplace of Jefferson Davis 13 

West Point in Jefferson Davis's Time 22 

Fort Winnebago 27 

Davis at the Indian Village 36 

Brierfield 39 

Colonel Davis at Buena Vista ....... 52 

Bust of Jefferson Davis 59 

The White House of the Confederacy 69 

The Capitol of the Confederacy 7^ 

The Jefferson Davis Monument in Richmond .... 81 

Robert E. Lee 86 

Stratford House 9° 

Arlington 99 

Captain Lee and the Drummer Boy 108 

Colonel Robert E. Lee 117 

Colonel Lee inspecting his Son's Room 124 

Lee on Traveler 155 

Lee and the Bird 164 

Washington and Lee University . . . . . . .176 

Lee Monument at Washington and Lee University . . .189 



JEFFERSON DAVIS 



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TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS 

JEFFERSON DAVIS 
CHAPTER I 

THE DAVIS FAMILY 

If you look with care on the map of the British Isles, 
}'oii will lind a part of one of them which is called \\'ales. 
In olden times, the people of all these islands were of the 
Celtic race. When the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain 
during the hfth centur\^ a.d., the Celtic inhabitants 
were pressed westward by degrees until they could go 
no farther, for they were stopped by the blue waters 
of the Irish Sea. So they took up their abode among 
the Cambrian ^lountains in the western part of Eng- 
land. Here they li^'ed and defied their enemies for 
centuries. They were a brave, proud, and unconquer- 
able race, and so they remain to this day. Their 
country came to be called Wales. 

Now about the beginning of the eighteenth century, 
at the time WiUiam and Mar}' were on the EngHsh 
throne, three Davis brothers left their homes in Wales 



10 JEFFERSON DAMS 

and came to America. At first they all settled in 
Philadelphia. 

The youngest of these three brothers, whose name 
was Evan, soon removed to Georgia, at that time a 
colony of Great Britain. In Georgia, he married a 
widow, a ^Irs. Emor}'. Their only son was named 
Samuel. 

The American colonies had now gro^^-n so in wealth 
and population that they were no longer willing to pay 
taxes to England unless they could have members in 
her Parliament. England would not consent to this. 
As vou have doubtless already learned, the quarrel 
resulted in the Revolutionar\' War. 

WTien Samuel Da\'is was about sixteen years old, his 
mother sent him to carr>' food and clothes to two of his 
half-brothers who were lighting in the American army 
against the British. He found them in active ser^'ice, 
and he was soon so well pleased with the life they were 
leading that he decided to join the army and become a 
soldier himself. 

He remained with the soldiers of South Carolina and 
Georgia until the close of the war. But he had gained 
such experience that he was allowed to raise a company 
of infantr}' in Georgia, of which he was captain. This 
company he led to Savannah to carr^' assistance to the 
American army which the British then had shut up in 
that citv. 



THE DAMS FAMILY li 

WTien the great Revolution at last ended, he returned 
to his home. His mother had died and the old place 
was a wreck. All the property which could be moved 
had been carried away by the Indians, Tories, and British 
soldiers. The buildings had been burned, the fences 
had been torn away, and the crops destroyed. It was 
no longer a home for young Samuel Davis ; so he settled 
at another place near Augusta, and engaged in farming. 

His chances for obtaining an education in boyhood 
had been very good. He had tried to learn and was 
well educated for those times. As he had also been 
kno^^^l favorably to the people of his community all his 
life, they made him clerk of the county. 

He did well on his new farm near Augusta, and it was 
to this home he brought his ^\dfe. While he was in the 
war, he had one day stopped at a home in South Caro- 
lina to get some refreshments. He there met pretty 
Jane Cook. These two young people soon were in 
love ^^^th each other. When the war had ended, and 
Samuel had prepared a place for them to live in, he 
went back to see her and took her home with him as his 
bride. 

She was of Scotch- Irish descent and was noted for her 
beauty and sprightly mind. He was handsome, active 
in body and mind, and well thought of among his neigh- 
bors. They lived at this place near Augusta a good 
many years and were prosperous and happy. 



12 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

CHAPTER II 

BIRTH AND BOYHOOD 

Samitl Davis thought he could make a better living 
more easily in a newer country. So about the year 
iSoo, with his wife and several children, he moved to 
Kentucky. He settled in what was then Christian 
County. It was a large county and later was divided, 
so the place where Samuel Davis settled was in what is 
now Todd County. The town of Fairburn has since 
grown up on the place where the home was built. He 
began growing tobacco for the market and raising 
blooded horses, of which he owned some of the finest in 
the county. 

At this new home in Kentucky, Jefferson Davis was 
born, the 3d of June, 1S08. He was the youngest of 
his father's family of ten children. There were five 
brothers and five sisters. All lived to be grown men 
and women except one of the sisters. 

While Jefferson was yet an infant, his father again 
moved, this time to Bayou Teche in Louisiana. The 
health of the children was not good here, so the father 
sought a higher, healthier district to which he might 
carr>' them. He found a place which suited him about 
a mile east of Woodville, in Wilkinson County, Missis- 
sippi. He moved his family there and settled. 



BIRTH AND BOYHOOD 13 

Not many people lived in that county. Fish and 
game birds were plentiful : bears and deer could be found 
in the woods and dense swamps. The Davis boys, no 
doubt, often had fine sport fishing and hunting in this 
new countr}'. 

The schools were kept in log cabins. The teachers 




BIRTHPLACE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS 



usually did not know much themselves, but beheved in 
severe punishments for the slightest oft'enses against 
''the rules." As in most of the oldtime schools, the 
teaching was confined largely to the three ''R's, 
readin', 'ritin', and 'rithmetic." 
It was in one of these log-cabin schools that little 



14 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

Jefferson began his education. He was about five years 
old when he first went to school. His sister Polly, 
about seven, went with him. 

In the neighborhood, there lived an old chair mender, 
who would go about from house to house and collect 
the chairs to be mended. As he carried them himself, 
on his arms, back, shoulders, or even on his head, he was 
a queer sight. At a distance, it was sometimes almost 
impossible to tell what kind of animal he really was. 
Also he was apt to drink too much, and then he was 
troublesome and even dangerous. The children for 
miles around were very much afraid of him. 

One day when Jefferson and Polly were going through 
the loneliest part of the woods to school, with their 
dinner in a basket, they saw coming towards them 
what they thought to be the drunken chair mender. 
They were badly frightened, but Jeft'erson took his 
sister's hand and said, "We will not run, Polly." 

The object slowly drew nearer, while they trembled 
and waited in dread at what the old chair mender might 
do. On it came, until it was near enough for them to 
see that it was a wild deer with great, branching horns. 
It gazed at them for a few moments with its large, round 
eyes, then turned and bounded off into the forest. 

This school did not last long, and Jefferson's first 
term came to a close without his having learned very 
much. 



IN SCHOOL AND' COLLEGE 15 

CHAPTER III 

IN SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 

When Jefferson was seven years old, he was sent to a 
]!atholic school in Kentucky, known as St. Thomas's 
)chool. 

As there were then no steamboats on the Mississippi 
liver and no stagecoaches running from Mississippi 
o Kentucky, he made the trip from his home to St. 
rhomas's on horseback. He went in company with a 
^lajor Hinds and his family. Major Hinds had a son; 
lowell, of about Jefferson's own age, who also went with 
hem. No doubt these two boys rode side by side and 
pent a great part of their time, as they went along, in 
alking of the country and the interesting things they 
aw on the way. 

The journey was several weeks long. At night they 
isually camped, but once or twice they had the op- 
)ortunity of spending the night at the '' Stands. '^ 
rhese Stands, as they were called, were a sort of inn 
:ept by Indians or Frenchmen, where tired-out travelers, 
)r those too sick to go on, might rest and recover their 
lealth and strength. 

On the way they passed many men who were return- 
ng to their homes far up the Ohio and Mississippi 
livers. These men had gone down the river on rafts 



1 6 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

and flatboats to New Orleans and were now making 
their way back home on foot. 

In St. Thomas's School, which was kept by Do- 
minican priests, Jefferson was the youngest pupil. 
He was very lonely, and as all the other boys were 
Catholics, he decided that he too would become a 
Catholic. So one day he went to speak with one of the 
priests about the matter. He found the priest eating 
his lunch. Jefferson told him of what he was thinking. 
The priest listened attentively to what he had to say, 
then gave him some of his bread and milk, and told the 
young, would-be-Catholic that it was better that he be 
content for the present with some CathoHc food. The 
good old priest knew the lad was too young to choose for 
himself while away from the influence of his parents. 

Little Jefferson was so lonely that one of the old priests 
took him to sleep in his room. The boys of the school 
had a special dislike for this priest. They made a plot 
against him in which they persuaded Jefferson, at a 
given signal, to blow out the light in the priest's room. 
The boys then attacked the priest with missiles of 
various kinds. 

The priests tried to find out who the plotters were. 
They believed Jefferson knew more than he would tell. 
They threatened him with punishment, but they did not 
find out from him. One priest took him up to the 
top story of the building, where the boys were usually 



IN SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 17 

punished, and strapped him down to a sort of frame 
made for the purpose. He then promised the boy that 
he would not punish him if he would tell what he knew. 
" I know one thing," said Jefferson. " I know who blew 
out the light. It was I." At this the old priest was 
much amused. He gave Jefferson some advice, and let 
him go without a whipping. 

He remained in this school two years. In the mean- 
time, steamboats had been put on the Mississippi 
River, and Jefferson went back home on one of them. 
He enjoyed very much this new way of traveling. 

He had grown much larger in the two years and looked 
quite different from the seven-year-old boy who had gone 
iway. Just before he reached home, he decided that 
t would be good fun to play that he was some one else, 
10 that his mother would not know him. So he ap- 
proached the house and, seeing his mother, went up to 
ler and said in a careless way, ''Have you seen any 
itray horses around here?" ''No," said his mother, 
'but I see a stray boy," and she drew him close to her 
md kissed him. She was very glad to see him. He 
then ran into the fields to find his father, who was also 
^lad to have his boy at home again. 

When he was ten years old, he entered Jefferson 
A.cademy. One of the teachers in this school did 
not have much education and had a great contempt for 
Latin. But he was good-hearted and liked Jefferson 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 2 



i8 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

and used to call out to the young student whenever he 
saw him, "Hello, Jefferson, how are you getting along 
with your hie, haec, hoc?''' 

An academy was established in his home county, and 
young Jefferson at once entered it. One day the teacher 
of this school gave a longer lesson than Jefferson thought 
he could learn. When it came time to recite, Jefferson 
did not know the lesson. When the teacher threatened 
to punish him, he took up his books, went home, and 
told his father of the affair. 

His father listened carefully to his story and then 
said, ''Every one must work, either with hands or with 
head. It is for you to choose with which you will 
work ; of course, my son could not be an idler. I want 
more cotton pickers, and I will give you work.'' 

Jefferson got a sack and basket and went to the cot- 
ton field. Up and down the long cotton rows, he picked 
for two days, along with his father's negro slaves. 
Then he decided that he preferred long lessons to pick- 
ing cotton. The next day he was in his usual place at 
school and did not complain any more. He studied so 
well that he was soon able to enter college. 

At the age of twelve, he was sent to Kentucky, where 
he entered Transylvania College. Here he was very 
diligent and attentive to his studies. 

Here too he formed a close friendship with a youth 
from Iowa who afterwards became General George W. 



AT WEST POINT 19 

Jones. This friendship lasted as long as they lived. 
General Jones tells us that Jefferson Davis was consid- 
ered by the faculty of the college the brightest and most 
intelligent of all the boys, and that his fellow-students 
thought he was the bravest and handsomest of all. He 
was a good student, always prepared with his lessons, 
and respectful and poHte to the president and the pro- 
fessors of the college. 

In appearance, he was attractive, strongly built, and 
very manly in bearing. At college, as well as all his 
life afterward, he was gay and ''brimful of buoyant 
spirit," but at the same time, gentle and refined. 

He remained at Transylvania until he was in his 
senior year, when he received an appointment to West 
Point, where, as you know, officers for the United States 
army are trained. 



CHAPTER IV 

AT WEST POINT 

On July 4, 1824, when Jefferson was about sixteen 
years old, his father died. Jefferson was still at Tran- 
sylvania. The last time he had seen his father was on 
leaving home to go to college. Samuel Davis had bid- 
den his son, Jefferson, ''good-by" and was leaving the 
house to ride over the plantation. The horse which he 



20 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

intended to ride was restless and would not be still 
long enough for him to put his foot in the stirrup to 
mount. At last, becoming impatient, he leapt, at a 
single spring, on to the horse's back and rode away. 
Jefferson left for Transylvania before his father returned 
to the house and never saw him again. 

He was much affected by the news of his father's 
death, for he loved him tenderly. On one occasion, 
after Jefferson had reached the age of thirty-nine, he 
attempted to read in public one of his father's letters. 
So many memories of his parent were recalled that he 
was choked with sobs and compelled to stop. 

His love and veneration for his father were very 
great. In after years, when he was about seventy-eight 
years old, he gave the place of his birth to the Baptists 
of Fairview, Kentucky, as a site for a new church. He 
was asked why he, not being a Baptist, should give the 
property to the Baptists. ''I am not a Baptist," said 
he, ^'but my father, who was a better man than I am, 
was a Baptist." 

It seems that there was always a great deal of warlike 
blood in the Davis family. Jefferson Davis himself 
once said, "My father and my uncle fought through the 
Revolution of 1776 . . . ; three of my brothers fought 
in the War of 181 2. Two of them were comrades of 
the 'Hero of the Hermitage' at New Orleans and re- 
ceived his commendation for gallantry." 



AT WEST POINT 21 

So, when Jefferson at sixteen received the appoint- 
ment to the military school at West Point, we are not 
surprised to find his eldest brother, Joseph, urging him to 
accept it and become a soldier ; nor are we surprised 
to find Jefferson perfectly willing to do so. 

At West Point, his life was not very different from 
that of most other military cadets. His figure was 
soldierlike and rather robust ; his step was quick and 
springy, like the tread of an Indian brave on the war- 
path. It is said he was distinguished in the corps for his 
manly bearing and his high-toned, lofty character. 

He was diligent, but he did not stand high in his class. 
When he finished the four years' course of study, he 
was number twenty-three in a class of thirty-three. 
He, however^, was the only one to become famous. 

At West Point he happened to be disliked by one of 
the professors who never let an opportunity pass with- 
out making Jefferson feel this dislike. One day the 
professor, in a lecture, while looking straight at Cadet 
Davis, said that we ought always to keep pur presence 
of mind, but he doubted not there were some persons 
who, if the test came, would forget themselves and not 
know what to do. Young Davis knew these remarks 
were meant as an insult to him. He felt it keenly but 
made no reply. 

The test soon came. The class was one day at work 
experimenting with fireballs in a room where a great 



THE YOUNG OFFICER 23 

quantity of powder and other explosives had been stored. 
One of the fireballs became ignited, and there was great 
danger of the entire building being blown up. 

Cadet Davis quietly said to the professor who had 
made the remark about presence of mind, "What shall 
I do, sir ? A fireball here has ignited." The professor 
threw everything aside and ran, calling to the cadets, 
'^Run for your lives!" Davis picked up the fireball 
and threw it from a window and thus saved the building 
as well as the lives of his classmates. 

During the time the cadets are being trained for sol- 
diers at West Point, a sum of money is paid them regu- 
larly for their expenses. Davis saved a part of his money 
every month and sent it to his mother. Once or twice 
she returned it to him because she thought he really 
needed all he received. But when she found that this 
gave him pain, she kept it. 

He was graduated from the West Point Military 
Academy in 1828, when he was about twenty years old. 



CHAPTER V 

THE YOUNG OFFICER 

Immediately after his graduation from West Point, 
he was made brevet second lieutenant in the Sixth 
Regiment of the infantry of the United States army. 



24 JEFFERSOxX DAVIS 

He was at once sent West and ordered to report to Major 
Bennett Riley. The young officer dressed himself in 
full uniform and reported as ordered. 

The Major was a blunt old soldier, but he soon be- 
came very fond of Lieutenant Davis and always spoke 
to him when off duty as ^'my son." Eighteen years 
afterwards when the Mexican War began they met 
again. ''Well, my son," said the old soldier to Davis 
as soon as he saw him, ''here we are again. Good luck 
to you, my boy ! As for me, six feet of Mexican soil, or 
a yellow sash." A yellow sash was a mark of a general 
officer and it was a much-sought honor. The Major 
won the yellow sash and Jefferson Davis won fame. 

Lieutenant Davis was soon removed to the First 
Regiment of infantry as a full second lieutenant. In 
1829, he was stationed at Fort Crawford in what was 
then Michigan Territory, but is now Wisconsin. 

The fort was in need of some repairs. Lieutenant 
Davis was given a detachment of men to cut timber 
for this purpose. He placed his men in little, open 
boats, and they had their food supplies and tools for 
cutting and rafting timber in the boats with them. 
They were guided by Frenchmen called voyageurs. 
These men knew the rivers and forests, and could go 
where they wished without losing their way. 

The party had gone some distance up the Red Cedar 
River, when a band of Indians on the shore hailed them 



THE YOUNG OFFICER 25 

and demanded that the white men come ashore and sell 
them some tobacco. The young Heutenant and his 
men cautiously rowed near the shore until they saw 
that the Indians were ready to fight and meant to 
attack them, then they rowed rapidly away. The 
Indians leaped into their own canoes, which had been 
hidden in the bushes at the water's edge, and pursued. 

The Indians could row as fast as the white men could, 
and for a time it looked as if the Indians would over- 
take them, until Lieutenant Davis thought of rigging 
up sails, made from tent covers. After this was done, 
the Indian braves were soon left so far behind that they 
gave up the pursuit. 

Lieutenant Davis and his men went on up the river 
till they found trees suitable for the purpose of repairing 
the fort. Then they landed, fixed their camps, and be- 
gan cutting timber. 

There was great danger from the Indians. One day 
when they were busy cutting near the river, they saw 
a large number of Indians coming up the river in canoes. 
The Indians were dressed out in their feathers and red 
war paint and were singing war songs. 

The timber cutters were too few in number to fight 
the Indians, so they hid themselves. A canoe landed, 
and the Indians began to search and plunder. One 
Indian came within twelve feet of where the young 
lieutenant lay hidden. The Indians did not find any 



26 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

of them, and soon went back to their canoes. They 
then paddled on up the river and were soon lost to 
sight. The lumbermen came out from their hiding 
places and began cutting timber again, glad that they 
had not been found. 

The woods were wild, and very few white people lived 
in that country, and they only to the south of where the 
timber cutters were at work. Not much amusement 
was to be had except fishing and hunting. But the 
few settlers sometimes gave what were called ''gumbo 
balls." These were dances, at which the refreshments 
served were large bowls of gumbo soup. The music 
for the dancing was made on fiddles. 

Once the fiddlers were sick and could not play for 
the dancing. So two little girls were placed behind a 
curtain to sing. They sang, ''The moon, it is a rizin', 
Jinnie, come away." The young people danced to this 
music till early in the morning and were happy. The 
timber cutters were glad to lose a night's sleep for such 
pleasures. The people also had wolf fights for amuse- 
ment. These were very much like dog fights. The 
lieutenant and his men could also go sleighing when 
they had the time. 

At last, the timber was cut and fastened together in 
large rafts on the river. It was then drifted down to 
the fort. It is said that Jefferson Davis was the first 
lumberman in Wisconsin, 



THE YOUNG OFFICER 



27 



He was ordered to leave Fort Crawford and to go to 
Fort Winnebago, which was about two miles from 
the place where the Fox River unites with the Wis- 
consin. 

About the fort there were many Indians who spent a 
great deal of time gambling on horse fights. Two 
horses would be shut up together in a large stable built 







FORT WINNEBAGO 



of logs, and then made to fight with each other. The 
Indians would bet on which horse would overcome 
and be victorious. 

These Indians were very dangerous and lurked in the 
forests ready to kill and scalp any unfortunate white 
man whom they found, especially if any Indian had 
been killed by the whites, even by accident. At one 
time, with a small party of soldiers. Lieutenant Davis 
had been out looking over the country. They met a 



28 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

large band of Indians, who seemed very friendly. 
Lieutenant Davis asked them the way. One of the 
Indians placed himself directly in front of the white 
men and pointed in a wrong direction. Lieutenant 
Davis then put spurs to his horse, seized the Indian by 
the scalplock, and dragged him some distance. The 
Indians, who had intended an attack, were so frightened 
at such treatment that they did not molest Davis and 
his men any more. 

The Indians of this region had a very pretty legend 
about the Fox River, and they told it to Jefferson Davis. 
They said that ages ago, a large serpent which lived 
in the Mississippi River once went for a frolic to the 
Great Lakes. It left its trail through the prairie and 
this gathered the waters of the meadows and the dews 
from heaven as they fell, and became the Fox River. 
If you will look on the map and see how crooked and 
winding is the course of this river, you will easily under- 
stand how a simple-minded, superstitious race could 
make and believe such fables. 

Here Lieutenant Davis was again busy with repairs 
on the fort. But he had a portion of time to spend in 
reading, studying, and in riding wild horses. He had 
many narrow escapes from Indians. Once he was riding 
a wild horse which did not wish to be ridden. It reared 
until it fell in trying to throw its rider from its back. 
The young ofhcer leaped off as the horse went down, 



THE YOUNG OFFICER 29 

and as it rose he again with a sudden spring vaulted 
into the saddle. The horse was easily ridden then and 
did not give him further trouble. 

At that time, there were large lead mines at Galena 
in Illinois. A great many people from the Eastern 
states were moving to these mines as well as to other 
places in the great West. In the winter of 1831, 
Lieutenant Davis found a large number of these people 
who had been compelled to stop on the banks of the 
Rock River. The mail was also stopped. They were 
all anxious to cross the river, but they could not because 
the water was too deep to be forded and it was not yet 
frozen thick enough to bear the weight of the horses and 
wagons. 

Lieutenant Davis took charge of affairs. He ordered 
the men to cut sheets of ice from the river and place 
them so as to make a wide road across the river. Water 
was poured over each of the blocks and, as the water 
was freezing, the blocks of ice were held fast in place. 
Several men fell into the freezing water, but they would 
go to a large fire which had been built, and as soon as 
they were dry, they would go back to cutting and carry- 
ing ice blocks and water. In this way the work was 
kept going. Layer after layer of the ice was placed 
and water poured over it, until there was a good strong 
passage across the river. The people then drove over 
in safety. 



30 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

CHAPTER VI 

IN THE WEST 

The year 1831 found Lieutenant Davis on the Yellow 
River building a fort. While here, he was adopted 
"within the sacred bond of brotherhood" by an old 
Indian chief who loved him very much, and who after- 
wards called him "Little Chief." 

While he was building the fort, he was in so much bad 
weather that he had pneumonia and was very ill for 
quite a long time. He grew so thin that James Pember- 
ton, his negro body servant, could easily lift him about 
from place to place. Every day he was lifted by James 
to the window of their hut, where he would sit and direct 
the work of building. All of the valuables were given 
to James, who took care of them until his young mas- 
ter was well again. James continued to be a faithful 
servant of the family for many years. 

In 1832, the Winnebago, Sac, and Fox tribes of In- 
dians began a war in Illinois. Chief Black Hawk, their 
leader, was a bold, crafty warrior. The war took its 
name from him. 

The United States government called for volunteers 
to help the regular soldiers fight these Indians. General 
Scott, at that time commander in chief of the Ameri- 
can army, sent two young lieutenants, Jefferson Davis 



IN THE WEST 



31 



and Robert Anderson, to administer the oath of alle- 
giance to these volunteers. It is said that Abraham 
Lincoln, who was captain of an Illinois company, had 
the oath administered to him by Jefferson Davis. 

Lieutenant Davis took part in the war and was at 
the battle of Bad Axe, where General Atkinson defeated 
Black Hawk and his warriors. The old chief and most 
of his warriors were made prisoners, and Jefferson Davis 
was sent to carry them to St. Louis. By his kind treat- 
ment of these Indians he made them his friends. 

As they went down the Mississippi River, some of the 
Indians were attacked by the dread Asiatic cholera 
which was then epidemic in the United States. There 
were two Indian braves who had sworn an "oath of 
friendship." This was a common custom among the 
Indians. It bound each to love and never to forsake 
the other. These two Indians were very ill with cholera 
and they had no hope of living. So they begged to be 
put ashore to die. 

Lieutenant Davis was deeply touched with pity, and 
so he yielded to their entreaties and put them ashore. 
When last he saw them, the stronger Indian was sup- 
porting the head of the other on his lap. Davis's heart 
ached to leave them alone on the banks of this great 
"Father of Waters," but it was their wish. He never 
knew their fate. 

When this campaign against the Indians was over. 



32 JEFFERSON DA\IS 

the young officer was highly praised by his superior 
officers for the soldierHke manner in which he had con- 
ducted himseh*. But he ahvays said the Indians were 
the real heroes of the war, because they had fought 
bravely for what the\' thousfht were their ridits. The 

. o o 

women as well as the men had fought and endured hard- 
ships with patience and courage. 

Upon his return from carrying the Indians to St. 
Louis, he was sent to remove the squatters who had 
taken possession of the lands and lead mines about 
Dubuque, left vacant by the removal of the Sacs and 
Foxes. Two other lieutenants had already failed to 
induce these people to move. They felt that they had 
a right to settle there and they were ready to fight for 
their rights. Lieutenant Davis met them and explained 
what he had come for. He told them that the lands 
belonged to the United States government, and that 
the rights of the people would be protected just as soon 
as the claims of the Sacs and Foxes could be managed. 

The squatters grumbled and threatened and appeared 
to be dangerous, but Lieutenant Davis told them that 
if they would think over what he had said to them, he 
was sure they would be willing to leave without trouble. 
Next day when he went back for their answer, he was 
told that they had said they would kill him if he came 
to the house where they were gathered. But he walked 
straight to it, went in, and spoke to them pleasantly. 



IN THE WEST 



33 



They all finally agreed to move. One woman who was 
unable to move at that time was allowed to stay in her 
husband's cabin, as the winter was very severe. She 
was ever afterwards one of his most faithful friends. 

About this time, there came a very severe test of the 
principles of Lieutenant Davis. The tariff is the amount 
of money which must be paid by the owner of certain 
goods when they are brought into a country or carried 
out of it. A tariff may be charged for the support 
of the government only. In this case, it is usually not 
very heavy and is easily paid. Or, a tariff may be 
charged on goods for the protection of manufacturers 
of the same kind of goods in the country where the 
tariff is to be paid. In this case, it is almost always 
hea\y, and it often seems to be extremely unjust to the 
consumers of the goods. 

The United States Congress passed an act in 1816 
providing for a protective tariff, which was increased 
in 1828. It was passed in order to encourage the manu- 
facture of certain kinds of goods in our countr\^ by 
charging other countries for the right to bring their 
goods here to sell them. Without the tariff, other 
countries could send goods here and sell them to us 
cheaper than our own factories could sell them to us. 
In such a case, without a tariff, we should soon have no 
factories making such goods. Now, as it is well for 
ever>^ countr\' to have factories of its own to supply 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 3 



34 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

people with work to do and also to be independent in 
case of war, it is often best to have a protective tariff. 

But the tariff of 1828 was working hardships upon the 
people of the South. They had no factories through 
which they might receive any profit arising from the 
tariff, while, on the other hand, they were compelled 
to pay higher prices for their supplies of clothing, house- 
hold furniture, and metal goods of all kinds. 

So it happened that this tariff question had stirred up 
a great deal of discussion and bitter feeling in the South. 
Indeed, the people of South Carolina called a conven- 
tion which adopted what was called the Ordinance of 
Nullification. It declared that Congress had no right 
to enact a protective tariff. The tariff was declared to 
be ''null and void." It ordered that no more duties 
should be paid in South Carolina after February i, 1833. 
It declared that, if the Federal government tried to force 
the payment of duties, South Carolina would no longer 
remain in the Union, but would withdraw and set up an 
independent government. The legislature of the State 
confirmed the Ordinance of Nullification and passed the 
laws which were needed to give it force. 

Then President Andrew Jackson sent troops and ships 
of war to Charleston to be ready to collect the tariff 
by force, if necessary. As Lieutenant Davis was in the 
United States army, he thought that he might be sent 
to help force South Carolina to pay the tariff. Now, 



IN THE WEST 35 

he did not believe that the Federal government had the 
right to force any state to pay the tariff. So he himself 
tells us that, though he was by choice and education a 
soldier, nevertheless he determined to resign his com- 
mission in the army rather than aid in forcing South 
Carolina to pay a protective duty. In 1833, however, a 
compromise was effected by the great Henry Clay, and 
Lieutenant Davis was thus freed from such a step. 

During the same year, a regiment of mounted soldiers 
called dragoons was organized in the United States 
army. Jefferson Davis was made a first lieutenant in 
this regiment and was given duty as an adjutant. In 
this capacity, he went with his regiment among the 
Indians of the Western plains. 

Some of the Indians were dissatisfied and unfriendly 
to the United States government. The purpose of the 
expedition was to cultivate the respect and good will of 
the Indians, and also to impress them with the military 
power of the United States. 

One day the soldiers met a large party of warriors 
and stopped to hold a ''powwow" with them. Lieu- 
tenant Davis grew tired of listening to this, so he took 
an Indian up behind him on his horse and rode off to 
look about, carrying the Indian for a guide. They went 
a considerable distance and were just about to enter the 
mouth of a deep canon, when the Indian all at once 
uttered a strange cry which Lieutenant Davis mistook 




DAMS Ai niK INDl.VN \ iU-VGil 



IN THE WEST 37 

for a hostile call to other Indians. He was somewhat 
frightened and drew his pistol on the Indian. 

The "brave" was more frightened than Davis and 
quickly made signs that he was friendly and did not 
mean any harm. He uttered the cry again, and they 
saw a ladder let down the walls of the canon from the 
top. They climbed up this, and when they reached the 
top, they found themseh^es in the Indian \'illage from 
which all the warriors had gone to the ''po^^^vow." 

Only the very old men, the women, and the children 
were left at home. They had swings for seats. Soon 
they brought some melons and cut them and gave some 
to Lieutenant Davis. He liked them and ate very 
heartilv. He was so browned b^' beino; in the sun 
so much that he was almost the color of an Indian. 
When some of the juice of the melon ran do^^m his arm, 
he turned his cuff back to dry it away. The Indian 
women and children were greatly astonished to see the 
white skin of his arm, for they had ne^'er seen a white 
man before. Then they wished to examine his breast 
to see if that too was white. They wondered greatly 
when the}' saw that it was. 

For some time he told them funny stories and kept 
them in a good humor. When he had rested and was 
ready to leave, the ladder was let down, and he was 
guided back to his friends b}' the Indian who had come 
awav with him. 



38 JEFFERSOX DAVIS 

The soldiers killed a great many buffaloes on this 
expedition, sometimes they had almost no food but 
buffalo ffesh. Lieutenant Da\is had some experience 
in cooking. He tried to make soup from the buffalo 
meat, but as they had no flour, it was pretty thin. He 
alwa>-s declared afterwards that it made no difference 
how much buffalo flesh might be put in the water to 
boil, there could be "no soup without flour, but just 
tea.** 

On these western expeditions, he learned to make 
himseh content with any food that might be put before 
him. He never complained of his food, for he used to 
say that there are so many pleasures higher than that 
of eatinsr. 



CH.\PTER MI 

XKE PL-\XTER ANT> POLITICL-VX 

Ix I S3 5, when Lieutenant Da\-is was just twent^'-eight 
years old, he retired from the army. 

Two years before, when he had been at Fort Crawford^ 
Colonel Zachar>- Taylor had been the commander of 
the fort. Colonel Taylor had been \isited there by his 
wife and daughters. Lieutenant Da\is had met them, 
and he and Miss Sarah Knox Taylor had become en- 
gaged. Soon after Lieutenant Da\-is retired from the 



THE FL-WTER .\XD I\^L1TICL\X 



39 



army, they were married at the home of the ^-omlg 
lady's amit near LouisAille, Kentucky. 

His oldest brother. Joseph, now gave him an estate, 
which he called Brierheld. It was given in payment 
for Jenerson's interest in their father's slaves. Before 
it was cleared ioj; cultivation, the land was co\-ered A^ith 
briers, and that is wh}- JeJierson's part was called Brier- 







^^^r^^ 



BSTESriELD 



neld. It was cut from Joseph's own estate. Hurricane, 
in Warren County, Mississippi, and was situated about 
twent}- miles below Mcksburg. 

Mr. Davis, now a planter, took his yotmg wife to 
this place, and began cotton planting. The place was 
ven- unhealthful. and before a year had passed, both 
were ill with fever. Mrs. Da^is did not recover, and 



40 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

for a long time, the young planter himself was hardly 
expected to get well. At last though, when he was 
strong enough, he took a trip to Cuba, which helped him. 

While he was in Havana, the lonely young planter 
amused himself studying the defenses and fortifications 
of the city. There was in him still, more of the soldier 
than of the planter. 

One day he learned that a vessel was just ready to sail 
for New York. He suddenly was seized with a desire 
to be at home again, and at once embarked. He landed 
in New York, went to Washington City, and, after some 
time spent there, returned to his plantation in Missis- 
sippi. 

He now remained closely at home. Often he did not 
leave the plantation for a whole year at a time. His 
plantation joined that of his brother Joseph, a wise, 
experienced man. Jefferson loved him as a father, 
and said of him, ''He is a profound lawyer, a wise 
man, and a bold thinker. ... To him, materially as 
well as intellectually, I am more indebted than to all 
other men." As the neighboring country was but 
thinly settled, Jefferson had no regular associate but 
this brother. 

He applied himself diligently to improving and cul- 
tivating his farm, and managed it so well that soon he 
had amassed a considerable fortune. He also spent a 
large portion of his time in reading and studying subjects 



THE PLANTER AND POLITICIAN 41 

bearing on the Constitution of the United States and the 
poKtics and history of our country. The two brothers 
talked a great deal on these matters. His mind was 
greatly enlarged and strengthened by his reading and 
study and by this association with his brother. 

His slaves and all the people in his employ loved him 
very much, for he was kind to them. His millwright 
was a tall, awkward man, but he had a good heart. 
The millwright's wife was afflicted with a cancer. One 
day Mr. Davis asked him why she was not taken to 
New Orleans to have it cured. When the millwright 
repHed that he did not have the money to do so, Mr. 
Davis gave him five hundred dollars and told him to 
take her to New Orleans and have her cured if it were 
possible. 

In 1843, 2-t the age of thirty-five, and eight years after 
leaving the army, Mr. Davis was persuaded by the 
Democratic party of his county to be a candidate for the 
Mississippi legislature. There were a great many more 
Whigs than Democrats in the county, so he was de- 
feated. He had expected this and had become a candi- 
date only because he thought it was his duty to his 
party. 

But the next year he was more fortunate in poHtics, 
for he was chosen a member of the electoral college of 
Mississippi. 

In 1845, he married a second time. His wife was 



42 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

Miss Varina Howell of Natchez. She also was of Welsh 
descent. 

During the same year, he was elected to Congress. 
He took his seat in the House of Representatives soon 
after the opening of the first session of the Twenty- 
ninth Congress, December, 1845. He took a lively 
interest in all questions of importance that came up, 
and made several speeches which caused him soon to 
become well known. 

CHAPTER VIII 

THE SOLDIER AGAIN 

In 1846, a war between the United States and Mexico 
began. The President called for fifty thousand volun- 
teer soldiers. Three hundred thousand at once offered 
themselves. 

Mr. Davis was elected colonel of a regiment from 
Mississippi. A messenger was sent to Washington to 
inform him of his election. He was found in the House 
of Representatives, which at the time was considering 
an important tariff bill. Mr. Davis at once agreed to 
become colonel of the regiment. 

When President Polk learned these facts and knew 
that Mr. Davis intended to leave Washington as soon as 
arms and necessary equipments for his regiment could 



THE SOLDIER AGAIN 43 

be procured, he urged him to remain until the tariff bill 
could be completed and passed. The President prom- 
ised to have the Secretary of War send arms and sup- 
plies for the regiment so that no time need be lost. So 
Mr. Davis consented to wait. 

Colonel Davis now asked for a thousand percussion, 
or cap, rifles of a new kind, for his men. Up to that time, 
the old flint and steel rifles had been in use. General 
Scott, the commander in chief of the army, objected 
to the regiments being armed with the cap rifles. He 
thought it would not be safe to undertake a campaign 
in the enemy's country with these rifles, because they 
had not been tested. Colonel Davis knew what sure 
marksmen the Missis sippians were with rifles, and how 
little faith they had in the army musket. So he in- 
sisted on having the percussion rifles, and at last pro- 
cured them. As the Mississippi regiment was the first 
to be armed with this new rifle, it was afterwards known 
as the Mississippi rifle. 

Mr. Davis resigned his seat in Congress in the sum- 
mer of 1846, and hurried away from Washington to 
Mississippi to join his regiment, which already had set 
out for the seat of war. He followed and overtook it 
at New Orleans, where he assumed command. From 
this place, they were transported by sea to Point 
Isabel near the mouth of the Rio Grande River. 

Here they were delayed for several weeks, waiting 



44 JF.FFERSOX DAVIS 

for boats to earn' them up the river. \'ery few of 
Colonel Da\is's men knew anything of army hfe, and 
they were ignorant also of miHtary tacties. He there- 
fore seized the opportunity atYorded by this delay to 
train them in the ways and habits of soldiers. In this 
attempt, he met a serious dittieulty at the very begin- 
ning. Xo set of tactics which provided for trammg 
soldiers armed with ritles had exer been made. As his 
regiment was armed with rities, he set to work and 
prepared a manual of arms for them. He himself then 
began teaching it to his ot'ticers and required them to 
teach it to the men of their commands. 

The pri\ate soldiers had a great deal of amusement 
at this. \Vhene\-er Colonel Da\-is and his otftcers passed 
on their way to practice, the soldiers would say in low 
tones, "There goes the colonel with his awkward 
squad." However, in a short time, the regiment was 
such a well-ordered one that it became a model for the 
volunteer troops oi General Ta>-lor's army. 

At last, boats were sent, and Colonel Davis with his 
regiment went up the Rio Grande to Camargo in the 
Mexican state of Tamaulipas. He reported to General 
Taylor, who was encamped at this place, and joined his 
command. 

The men were not allowed to rest long, for in a few 
da\s General Ta>lor's arm\-, which numbered about six 
thousand men.bci^anamarch into the interior oi Mexico. 



THE SOLDIER AGAIN 



45 



The destination of the army was Monterey, a strongly 
fortified city on the slopes of the Sierra Madre Moun- 
tains. This city had a garrison of regular and volunteer 
troops, which numbered from nine to fifteen thousand 
men, commanded by General Ampudia. 

The Americans attacked the town of Monterey early 
on the morning of September 21. General Worth was 
sent around to the western side or rear of the town to 
make the main attack. General Taylor himself, with 
the divisions of General Butler and General Twiggs, 
made an attack on the opposite side in order to draw 
the attention of the Mexicans from General Worth's 
attack. This was to enable General Worth to get 
as near the Mexicans as possible before they should 
find out that he was approaching. 

The attack on the front by General Taylor proved to 
be the important one. General Twiggs's command 
suffered severely, and General Quitman's brigade, of 
which Colonel Davis's regiment was a part, was sent to 
help him. 

The most advanced position of the Mexicans was an 
old tannery built of stone, which had been made into a 
fort. It was filled with infantry and protected by a 
redoubt built some distance in front of it, and was de- 
fended also by artillery. 

When Colonel Davis received orders to go to the aid 
of General Twiggs, he and his regiment eagerly rushed 



46 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

forward and attacked the redoubt and soon took it. 
The Mexicans retreated into the old tannery and were 
trying to close the door when Colonel Davis with his 
men came up and forced it open. Some of the Mexicans 
who were near by surrendered immediately. Among 
these was the officer in command of this fort, who 
handed his sword to Colonel Davis in token of sur- 
render. 

Meanwhile, the other Mexicans in the old tannery 
were running away to another fort, El Diablo, about 
three hundred yards farther back. Colonel Davis and 
his men pursued them. He was on the point of attack- 
ing El Diablo when, for some reason unknown to himself, 
he was ordered back by General Quitman. He did not 
like this order, but as he was a well-trained soldier, he 
obeyed. Colonel Davis was now forced to hold his 
regiment idle under a most destructive fire from Mexi- 
can artillery on his left. He was very impatient at the 
delay and the useless exposure of his men. He was 
finally allowed to undertake an attack on the Mexican 
right, but before he could get near enough to begin the 
attack, he was again ordered by his superior officers to 
fall back. As he was coming away with his men, he 
met a large body of lancers and had some satisfaction for 
his other disappointments, in putting them to rout. He 
was not engaged in any other fighting the first day, and 
on the second day, nothing of importance was done. 



THE SOLDIER AGAIN 47 

The fighting was resumed early on the morning of the 
third day, September 22. It was learned that the 
Mexicans had given up most of their defenses in the part 
of the city nearest the American army. They had re- 
moved toward the citadel and grand plaza. 

Colonel Davis again was ordered to take possession of 
El Diablo, the fort he had been so eager to take on the 
first day of the battle, but again he was not allowed to 
take it. For, before he could accomplish the task, the 
entire command of General Quitman, including Colonel 
Davis's regiment, was ordered to make its way cautiously 
into the heart of the city. Colonel Davis with a part 
of his own regiment and a part of a Tennessee regiment 
took the lead in this movement. It was extremely 
dangerous and difficult but it just suited Jefferson Davis, 
for he always loved adventure and danger. 

The Mexicans had built barricades across the streets. 
From behind these, from windows, and from the battle- 
mented roofs of the houses, they were able to kill a 
great many Americans with little danger to them- 
selves. At the same time they swept the streets with 
a heavy fire from their cannon. 

While Colonel Davis was slowly making his way 
through these difficulties, it was proposed that the Amer- 
icans should bore their way through the houses instead 
of going through the open streets. The houses were 
built very close to each other, and it was decided to 



48 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

try this plan. So they entered houses and tore their 
way through the walls from one to the next. By this 
plan, they were not much exposed to the enemy's fire. 
They spent the greater part of the day thus in making 
their w^ay from house to house and from street to street. 
At one time, Colonel Davis was entirely covered with 
earth and rubbish by the explosion of a shell. It was 
reported by a frightened soldier that he was killed, but 
he was, in fact, not at all hurt. 

At one place, they had to cross a street which was 
swept by the fire of the Mexican guns. Colonel Davis's 
plan for crossing it with least risk or loss of life was for 
himself to run rapidly across the street ; then others 
were to rush across, two or three at a time. It was 
expected that the Mexicans would fire at them, and while 
they were reloading their guns, the rest of the Americans 
might cross in safety. So when they were all ready. 
Colonel Davis led the way and a few others followed. 
The Mexicans fired away at them, but did not kill any 
of the Americans. Then some others quickly went 
across in safety, though the Mexicans were doing their 
best to kill them. Their guns were soon empty, and 
then all the Americans rushed across the street as had 
been planned. 

By evening, the Americans had come within two 
squares of the main plaza. As they were now in danger 
of being injured by shells from their own cannon, they 



AT BUENA VISTA 49 

were ordered to fall back. This they did and thus 
closed the last day of this battle. 

Early the next morning, General Ampudia proposed 
to surrender to General Taylor. The terms were soon 
arranged and agreed upon by these two generals, and 
so ended the fighting between them. 

Soon after the battle of Monterey, General Taylor 
took possession of the greater part of the Mexican states 
of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila. Saltillo, 
the capital of Coahuila, was headquarters for the 
American army during the winter. 

CHAPTER IX 

AT BUENA VISTA 

A GREAT part of General Taylor's army was now taken 
from him and sent to aid General Winfield Scott in his 
campaign against the city of Mexico. 

Santa Anna, the commander in chief of the Mexi- 
can army and President of the Republic, had meanwhile 
raised a large army, which was stationed at San Luis 
Potosi. He knew that General Taylor's army had been 
very much weakened, and in the latter part of Febru- 
ary, 1847, he moved northward to meet and attack him. 

As soon as General Taylor knew Santa Anna's plans, 
he selected a strong place in a narrow valley which 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 4 



50 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

had deep gullies on one side of the road, and steep hills 
and cliffs on the other. This place was about seven 
miles south of Saltillo near an hacienda, or Mexican 
plantation, called Buena Vista. General Taylor now 
had not more than seven thousand men, while Santa 
Anna had from fourteen to twenty-two thousand. 

On February 22, Santa Anna sent Taylor a summons 
to surrender. Taylor replied in a polite note, refusing to 
do so. Soon after, the Mexicans made an attack but 
not much fighting occurred during this first day. This 
was, however, the beginning of the battle of Buena 
Vista. 

On the night of the first day of the battle. General 
Taylor and Colonel Davis with his regiment of Missis- 
sippians went back to Saltillo to protect that place 
from a large body of cavalry that was threatening it. 
Having spent the night at Saltillo, they left early the 
next morning for Buena Vista. 

The battle of the second day had already begun 
when Colonel Davis and his men came within hearing 
of Buena Vista. They stopped at a large spring by the 
road and filled their canteens with water. The booming 
of cannon and the rattle of muskets, rolling and rum- 
bling through the valleys from the distance, made the 
men eager to get into the battle. As soon as all were 
ready, they hurried forward. 

When Colonel Davis and his Mississippians came up 



AT BUEXA VISTA 51 

to where the fighting was going on, they saw a most 
disgraceful and discouraging sight. ]Many American 
soldiers were running away as fast as they could -^dth 
the Mexicans in hot pursuit. Colonel Da\is beheved 
the battle would be lost unless some bold move was 
made, so he advanced ^dth his command. 

He tried to induce the soldiers who were running 
away to halt and renew the fight, but they would not 
stop. So he ordered his men to open their ranks to 
allow the retreating soldiers to pass through to the rear. 
His soldiers obeyed, and then, while the men who were 
running away passed between them, eager to reach 
safety, the voice of Colonel Davis was heard above the 
clamor and din, coolly calling out to his men, "Steady, 
Mississippians ! Steady, Mississippians ! Let those 
people who are running to the rear pass through, but 
hold your ground.'' Wlien all of them had passed to 
the rear. Colonel Da\ds gave the short, crisp order, 
'' Forward, ^Mississippians I Forward to victor}' I '■ The 
men obeyed at once and rushed forv.-ard. Instead of 
frightening them, the sight of soldiers running away 
had made them bold and more determined to win. 

Colonel Da^'is's soldiers were soon in the thickest of 
the fighting. In making an advance, they had to cross 
a deep ravine, their brave commander leading the way. 
While he was in the bottom of the ravine, he was fired 
upon by a great number of Mexicans who were on the 




COLONEL DAVIS AT BUENA VISTA 



S2 



AT BUEXA VISTA 53 

bank above him; but he and his horse reached the 
opposite side in safety, w4th his men closely following. 
They were using their new rifles, of which they were so 
proud, with good effect, and they soon had the ^lexi- 
cans running away. 

Shortly afterwards, they saw approaching a large 
body of ]Mexican cavalry, over one thousand strong. 
The ground was ver}* rough and uneven, and it was a 
most dangerous place for infantr}' to be attacked by 
cavalr}-. There was a long, deep gully here, and so it 
appeared best to Colonel DaAis to form his men in a 
V-shape with the point to the rear and the legs toward 
the enem}-. The ^Mexicans would thus be received 
between two lines and be nred upon from two main 
directions. So he formed them in this way and ordered 
them to stand firm and not to shoot until the lancers 
should come ver\' near them. 

On came the Mexican lancers, at a brave gallop, 
closely packed and looking extremely warlike in their 
handsome, gayly colored uniforms and riding their 
tough, strong horses. But when they had come to 
within about a hundred yards of the Americans and saw 
that they were not going to run, they brought their 
horses to a walk. The Americans at once opened fire 
on them and poured such a volley of rifle balls among 
them that they broke and fled. 

It is said that the success of Colonel Da^^s in repel- 



54 JEFFERSOX DAMS 

ling these lancers won the battle of Buena Msta for the 
Americans. 

He was next ordered to help Bragg's artiller\\ With 
his men, he came up just in time to put to flight a 
large body of the enemy which had come ver\^ near to 
the batterv' and was about to capture it. 

Colonel Davis was now forced to retire from thebattle- 
field. He had been severely injured in the foot near 
the beginning of the battle, but he had not stopped to 
have the wound dressed. 

General Taylor praised him verv' highly for his 
braverv^ and soldierlike conduct in the battle and said, 
"Xapoleon never had a marshal who behaved more 
superbly than did Colonel Davis to-day." 

Soon after this battle, the time for which Colonel 
Davis's men had enlisted was out. They wished to 
return home to their families and friends. So Colonel 
Davis went wath them. He was still on crutches from 
his wound. A great public reception was given them 
at New Orleans, and still greater ones at Natchez and 
Vicksburg. 

Colonel Da\'is received a very friendly letter at Xew 
Orleans from President Polk, and wnth it the offer of a 
commission as a brigadier general of volunteer forces. 
He refused it, however, because he thought the Presi- 
dent did not have the right to make such appointments. 
He loved the life of a soldier and would have been glad 



THE UNITED STATES SENATOR 55 

to accept the commission if he had thought that it came 
from the proper source. But he did not beheve the 
power to make this appointment lay with the Presi- 
dent, and he had already so expressed himself more 
than a year before. 

CHAPTER X 

THE UNITED STATES SENATOR 

When Colonel Davis returned from the Mexican 
War, he went to his plantation and once more busied 
himself with his own affairs. But it was not long 
before Mr. Spaight, who was one of the United States 
senators from Mississippi, died. Mr. Davis was ap- 
pointed by the governor to complete the term, and the 
people of the State were much pleased at this. 

As a United States senator, he realized the weight of 
the people's trust and took a deep interest in all matters 
touching their welfare. He carefully studied all ques- 
tions which came up for discussion, and frequently 
spoke on them. His speeches were listened to eagerly, 
for he usually understood his subject so well that he 
was able to throw much light upon whatever matter 
he discussed. The great historian Prescott said that 
Jefferson Davis was the most accomplished man in the 
Senate at a time when "it was full of giants," 



56 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

He was a true orator. It is said that John Quincy 
x\dams, who was himself a great orator, had a habit of 
going to hear new senators make their first speeches on 
the floor of the Senate Chamber. If the speech pleased 
him, he remained, but if it did not, he soon went away. 
WTien Senator Da\'is rose to make his first speech in 
the Senate, ^Ir. Adams came in and took a seat near 
him. As the speaker went on, ^Nlr. Adams became in- 
terested and did not leave. At the close of the speech, 
Mr. Adams went over to some friends and said, "That 
young man, gentlemen, is no ordinary- man. He will 
make his mark yet, mind me." 

Senator Da\*is was a leader in the Senate. His bear- 
ing and character were quiet and dignified. It is said 
that he had almost the appearance of a senator of old 
Rome. He did not seek the people's favor, but he did 
what he beHeved to be right, even though he knew they 
might think it ^Tong. His education at West Point 
and the reputation which he had won in the army gave 
great weight to his views on mihtarv- matters. 

He was kind and courteous to all. He knew all the 
people who worked about the Senate Chamber and was 
particularly kind to them. He never failed to ask about 
them and their families. 

The legislature of Mississippi elected him to the Sen- 
ate again in 1851. Then his political party wished him 
to be a candidate for governor of the State. He be- 



THE SECRETARY OF WAR 57 

lieved it his duty to his part}- to do so, and he accord- 
ingly ga\-e up his seat in the Senate and entered the 
race for governor. He was defeated, however, by a 
small majority. 



CIL\PTER XI 

THE SECRETARY OF W.AR 

Ix 1852, after about seven years of continual pubhc 
service, ^Ir. Da\-i5 was again free to retire to his planta- 
tion. This he was verv' glad to do. He was soon busy 
looking after his ser\-ants, building and repairing houses 
and fences, and growing his crops. But he had not 
ceased to care for pohtics. He had taken a Hvely in- 
terest in the presidential canvass of 1S52, in which 
Franklin Pierce was elected. 

Mr. Da\is was now in\-ited to become Secretary- of 
War in President Pierce's cabinet. At nrst he declined 
this high honor, but he accepted an in^-itation to attend 
the inaugural ceremonies at Washington, and the Presi- 
dent, on meeting him, insisted on his becoming Secre- 
tary- of War. He at last >-ielded and accepted. 

In this position, it was his duty to look after the or- 
ganization of the army, the kinds of weapons, the powder 
and bullets, the rank and promotion of officers, indeed 
ever}1;hing pertaining to the army. Because of his 



58 JEFFERiOX DAVIS 

education at West Pointj he understood well how these 
things should be done. 

While he was in the Senate, he had urged that a 
railway be built to connect the valley of the Mississippi 
with the Paci&c coast. As Secretary- of War, he was 
charged with the task of sending men to sur\T\' the 
route for this railway. It was decided that a new 
Senate Chamber and Hall of Representatives should be 
added to the Capitol. Secretary- of War Da\'is was 
given the money and authority to have this work done. 
He selected Colonel Montgomery' Meigs for this task, 
and it was carried out. 

About this time a great war was being waged in 
Europe by England and France against Russia. It was 
called the Crimean War, because most of the fighting 
was on the peninsula of Crimea, which projects into 
the Black Sea. 

Mr. Davis sent Captain George B. McClellan to 
observe the fighting and to learn all he could about the 
different modes of conducting this war. Captain Mc- 
Clellan performed his task so well that many improve- 
ments in the American army resulted. Secretary 
Davis caused changes to be made in the model of small 
arms. Experiments were made which led to the cast- 
ing of cannon so that they would be hollow without 
having to be bored. Before this time, they had been 
cast in a solid piece and then bored hollow. Two 




■:X TA'iT? 



59 



Go JEFFERSOX DAVIS 

regiments each of cavalry and infantry were added to 
the regular army. 

But perhaps the most interesting experiment was 
that with camels to be used in the army for carrying 
mail and mihtar}' stores in the desert lands of the south- 
west of our country. ^Ir. Davis, after finding out all 
he could about camels, caused thirty-four to be pro- 
cured in Turkey and Eg}pt. They were put on ship- 
board, and each was carefully fastened in a swinging 
harness to prevent its being hurt by the rolling and 
plunging of the vessel at sea. They were watched over 
by Arab attendants who knew how to care for them. 
After a \'0}'age of three whole months, the camels were 
at last landed in Texas. Their joy at being once more 
on land was so great that they at once began to run and 
plunge and have a good time. The next year, forty- 
one more were brought over, making se\-enty-five in all. 
They were all put on a ranch near San Antonio in 
Texas. Test trips were made, and their speed and 
endurance were found satisfactor}*. They were healthy 
and were doing well until ^Ir. Da\-is went out of office. 
Xo one gave any further attention to them, and it is 
not kno\^Ti what became of them. 

It is said that if the Indians of Arizona and Xew 
Mexico are asked about the camels, they wiU tell of the 
"Red Ghost'' that sometimes rushes into their camps 
at nisfht, frisfhtens the horses awav, eats their hav, and 



THE SENATOR AGAIX 6i 

fights like a fiend if attacked. The cowboys of the 
Southwest will repeat the story of one of their com- 
panions who was found dying in a canon, and who re- 
vived just long enough to tell of a great, misshapen, red 
beast that had turned upon him, and bit and trampled 
him after he had wounded it. Whether these stories 
are true is uncertain, but it is just possible that a few of 
these camels are yet running wild in Arizona. 

It was generally agreed that Mr. Davis was a most 
excellent Secretary of War, being broad-minded and at 
the same time very practical. 

CHAPTER XII 

THE SENATOR AGAIX 

Mississippi was always ready to honor her distin- 
guished son. So as soon as his period of service as 
Secretary of War had expired, he again entered the 
United States Senate, having been elected by the 
legislature of his State to this high position. 

Our country now was being deeply stirred by the 
discussion of slavery and subjects connected \\ith 
slavery and States' Rights. A great deal was being 
said. Even members of the same political parties dif- 
fered in opinion on these matters. All this filled the 
country mth dread for the future. 



62 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

No statesman of the times saw the dangers ahead 
more clearly than did Senator Davis, and none tried 
more earnestly to avert them. He urged the people of 
the South to be patient and prudent. But he never 
failed to stand forth and declare the people's rights. In 
the Senate, he was often in debate with those who 
differed from him in politics. On the floor of the 
Senate, Mr. Davis proved himself a worthy foeman of 
the famous orator and statesman, Stephen A. Douglas, 
of Illinois. 

During a part of this term in the Senate, his health 
was so bad that he could not always attend its sessions. 
He was thus kept from speaking as often as he thought 
it was his duty to speak. In 1858, by the advice of his 
physician, he made a tour through New England with 
Mrs. Davis and their children. They spent a consid- 
erable time at Portland, Maine. 

While in that city, he made several speeches. Of one 
of them, a Portland paper said, '^We regret that our 
readers can get no idea of the musical voice and inspir- 
ing eloquence of the speaker from a report of his re- 
marks." The speech was published, and it is so good, 
you must read it in full when you are older. 

Senator Davis continued his journey, and on his way 
back to Washington, made speeches in Boston and 
New York. His views on public matters were well re- 
ceived, and he himself was greatly honored. When he 



THE SENATOR AGAIN 63 

reached Washington again about the end of the year, 
his health was much improved and he at once took up 
his duties in the Senate. 

The differences of opinion between the North and the 
South had now become serious. The Dred Scott deci- 
sion, John Brown's Raid, and the continued discus- 
sions and arguments about these things had, by i860, 
brought the whole country to the highest pitch of ex- 
citement. Some of the Southern States began to talk 
of leaving the Union. Several states finally did leave 
in i860 and 1861. They united and formed the Con- 
federate States of America, with their capital at Mont- 
gomery, Alabama. 

Senator Davis's views are clearly shown in his 
speeches at this time and also in some resolutions which 
he introduced in the United States Senate in February, 
i860. He believed most earnestly in States' Rights. 
That is, he claimed that at the close of the Revolutionary 
War, when England recognized the independence of the 
thirteen colonies, each was a free and independent gov- 
ernment of itself, without bond or duty to the others. 
When the Constitution and the Union of the states 
came to be formed, there were various interests in the 
different states, and the interests of one section some- 
times conflicted with those of another. In order to 
form the constitution, agreements had to be reached 
on these points of conflicting interests. 



64 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

The question of slavery had been one of these points. 
Slavery was recognized, and agreements concerning it 
were reached and written down in the constitution. 
Thus the constitution was really only a sort of agree- 
ment between the different states by which they were 
to be governed. 

Mr. Davis claimed that the states had given to the 
general government of the United States only a part of 
their authority and that any meddling of one state 
with the affairs of another was unconstitutional and 
not right. 

He believed that since the free states had now become 
unwilling to abide by the Constitution, and as the States 
had entered the Union of their own free will, any state 
had the right to leave the Union whenever it felt that 
it had just cause to do so. Mr. Davis beHeved that 
the effort which it was expected would be made to 
free the slaves of the South was contrary to the Con- 
stitution, and that the slave states, therefore, had the 
right to leave the Union if they chose. / 

We have already seen how Mr. Davis had shown his 
belief in States' Rights. Again, on one occasion when 
Massachusetts had threatened to leave the Union, 
Senator Davis said, ''If Massachusetts should choose to 
take the last step which separates her from the Union, 
it is her right to go, and I will vote neither one dollar 
nor one man to force her back." 



PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES 65 

Mr. Davis loved the Union and had spent a great 
part of his youth in its service. He did all in his 
power to hold the Union together on honorable terms. 
So unwilling was he to hasten into secession that he was 
accused in his own state of being too slow in the matter. 

But when Abraham Lincoln, with his clearly stated 
intentions, was elected President, Senator Davis believed 
that the rights of the southern states were about to be 
violated and that there was just cause for secession. 
He thought the separation of the states could no longer 
be averted with justice to the South, and now he boldly 
advised it. 

As soon as he learned that Mississippi had severed 
her relation with the Union, he left the United States 
Senate. This was in January, 1861. Before his de- 
parture, he made a farewell address to the Senate, which 
is said to have moved even his enemies to tears. 



CHAPTER Xni 

PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES 

Mr. Davis reached home to learn that he had been 
chosen major general and commander in chief of the 
volunteer forces of his beloved state, Mississippi. He 
at once accepted, for he wished to serve the South as a 
soldier rather than as a statesman. 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 5 



66 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

He was very anxious that peace be preserved between 
the Federal and the Confederate governments, but he 
feared that it could not. He therefore set actively 
to work, raising an army and supplying it with arms, 
food, and ammunition. 

While he was engaged in this task, getting ready for 
whatever might come, a ''Provisional Congress" of the 
Southern States met at Montgomery, Alabama. Among 
the first acts of this Congress was the election of Jeffer- 
son Davis to be President of the Confederacy until the 
government could be definitely estabfished and a con- 
stitution formed. 

As has been said, Mr. Davis much preferred to serve 
the new government as a soldier, but when he knew that 
the entire people of the Confederacy wished him to be 
their President, he beheved it his duty to give up his 
choice. This he accordingly did and consented to 
accept the office. 

He went at once to Montgomery and was inaugurated 
on the 1 8th of February, 1861. The ceremony of 
inauguration took place at the State House of Alabama, 
and was very simple. After taking the oath of office, 
Mr. Davis delivered an inaugural address, which was a 
clear statement of his views and an able defense of the 
Confederate cause. It was listened to with great care 
by the thousands gathered to witness the launching of 
the new republic. 



PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES 67 

President Davis at once chose the members of his cabi- 
net. It was made up of some of the brightest and 
ablest men of the Confederacy. At his first meeting 
with his cabinet, he told them he hoped they would be 
as free and frank with him as he would be with them. 
He was always ready to confer with his cabinet and was 
never hasty in making a decision or acting without 
their advice. 

There was a general desire in the South that war 
between the states should be avoided. As the Confeder- 
ate Congress had expressed a wish to this effect, on the 
25th of February, 1861, President Davis appointed three 
commissioners to go to Washington to try to arrange 
some way of preserving peace, but they were not suc- 
cessful in this effort. 

In April, 1861, Virginia separated from the Union 
and cast her lot with the Confederacy. Mr. Davis 
at once proposed to remove the capital to Richmond. 
This was agreed upon and Richmond became the cap- 
ital of the Confederate States. 

President Davis with his family went to Richniond 
the latter part of May. AIL along his route, he was 
received with great joy by the people. At every city, 
town, and village, great demonstrations were made. 
When he reached Richmond, he saw on all sides prepa- 
rations for war. The bright, clean uniforms of the 
thousands of soldiers, their shining arms, the tented 



68 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

fields about the city, the gold braid and clanking swords 
of the officers, the crisp word of command, the music 
of bands, and the singing of patriotic songs, — all the 
splendor as well as the dread of war was present. The 
soldiers were being drilled, supplies were being collected, 
and everything made ready. 

The people of Richmond were very proud to have the 
President of the Confederacy come to live among them. 
They at once bought a noble house and gave it to him. 
He refused to accept it as a gift, but consented to live 
in it if the city would take rent for it from the Confed- 
erate government. He thought it was not right to 
allow the city to be at the expense of providing this 
house for him. And thus he refused all gifts of value. 

This house has since been made into a sort of museum 
where each of the Southern States has a room in which 
it may store relics of the war. 

In November, 1861, without any opposition, Mr. 
Davis was elected President of the ''permanent gov- 
ernment" of the Confederate States. By the consti- 
tution formed, the President was to hold office for six 
years. Mr. Davis was inaugurated February 22, 1862. 
The ceremony was again very simple. 

Here in Richmond, he spent the four long, dark years 
of the war. There was little time for social pleasure 
and entertainment at the ''White House of the Con- 
federacy," as Mr. Davis's house was called, for he was 



PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES 



69 



very busy. Usually he worked all day, and left his 
office about five o'clock in the evening, unless he had 
i:>ressing business which prevented his leaving at that 
hour. After he left the ofBce, he would take a ride on 




From an Early PritU 
THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE CONFEDERACY 

horseback, usually alone. On one of these rides, he 
was fired at by some unknown person in hiding, but 
escaped unhurt. 

Another time, he had been alone on horseback to the 
camps of General Lee, who was then near Richmond 
with his army, and had stayed later than he intended. 



70 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

Long before he reached home, darkness came on. He 
was riding along, his mind busy on his cares and duties, 
when he heard a cheery young voice call out, ''Good 
evening." He turned and saw^ approaching him a boy 
about sixteen or seventeen years of age, with his army 
rifle and revolver, and wearing the gray jacket of the 
Confederate soldier. 

'' Is your name Davis — Jefferson Davis ? " 

"Yes," replied the President. 

''Well, I think I shall guard you till you get back 
nearer home," said the boy. 

J\lr. Davis explained that he had nothing to fear as 
he was inside the Confederate lines. 

"It's not right," said the young soldier. "There 
are bad men in our army as well as in all armies." And 
so he rode on with the President until they were near 
Richmond, and then he went back to his command. 

]\Ir. Davis often visited the battlefields about Rich- 
mond during the w^ar, and though he was commander 
in chief of the Confederate armies, he always went 
without a guard. He had the greatest faith in the love 
and respect of the entire people. 

President Davis did his best to give the Confederacy 
a good government. He gave personal attention to all 
its departments. There were those who complained 
and abused him, but it is now known that he was a 
zealous, self-sacrificing patriot. 



PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES 



71 



He always felt deeply for the suffering and misery of 
others. A woman whose husband was sentenced to be 
shot for some military offense went to the President's 
house to beg him to pardon her husband. He was very 
busy, but he listened to her story, and then wrote a 
pardon for the man. He asked Mrs. Davis to have an 



>*^^. 














j-rom an Early Frini 
THE CAPITOL OF THE CONFEDERACY 



early dinner prepared for the woman and her two chil- 
dren, to give them a dollar apiece, and send them home. 
Perhaps you will be amused by a letter which a young 
woman wrote the President, but her manner of spell- 
ing should not be copied. She wrote, 



72 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

"Dear Mr. President : I want you to let Jeems C. of 
company oneth, 5th South Carolina Regiment, come 
home and get married. Jeems is willin, I is willin, his 
mammy says she is willin, but Jeem's captin, he aint 
willin. Now when we are all willin ceptin Jeems 's 
captin, I think you might let up and let Jeems come. 
I'll make him go straight back when he's done got mar- 
ried and fight just as hard as ever. 

Your affectionate friend etc." 

Mr. Davis wrote on the back of the letter, "Let 
Jeems go," and sent it to Jeems's captain. So we may 
imagine that Jeems went and that he was soon married. 

CHAPTER XIV 

THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR 

At last the men and resources of the South began to 
fail. After the battle of Gettysburg, the Confederacy 
was never able to replace the thousands of men slain in 
that great struggle. 

On April 2, 1865, General Robert E. Lee was forced 
to give up Richmond, which he held so long against a 
vast force of Union troops. President Davis learned 
this fact at church on Sunday morning. He quietly 
left the church, went home, and at once called the mem- 
bers of his cabinet together. After a talk with them. 



THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR 73 

it was decided that he and they must leave the city. 
They hastily collected the records and such property of 
the government as could be carried and left Richmond. 
Of the money belonging to the government, he distrib- 
uted to soldiers what he could and the remainder he 
placed in trust to be given to Confederate soldiers later. 

The cabinet went to Danville, Virginia, where Mr. 
Davis expected to meet General Lee and his army. But 
he was disappointed in this hope. However, he issued 
a proclamation to the people of the Confederacy, which 
has become famous as showing his bold and deter- 
mined spirit. After speaking of the misfortune of the 
Confederate States and their chances for recovery, he 
closed the proclamation with these words, "Let us 
then, not despond, my countrymen, but relying on 
God, meet the foe with fresh defiance, and with uncon- 
quered and unconquerable hearts." 

While in Danville, Mr. Davis stayed at the home 
of Major W. T. Sutherlin. When he was ready to leave, 
Mrs. Sutherlin asked him if he had any money. Mr. 
Davis replied that he had none. She knew he would 
need it, so she offered him a bag containing a thousand 
dollars in gold. ''No," said he, "I cannot take your 
money. You and your husband are young and will 
need it, while I am an old man and I suppose I shall not 
need anything very long." 

General Lee surrendered to General Grant on the 



74 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

9th of April, 1865. The President was asked if he did 
not think this would end the war. ''By no means," 
said he, "we'll fight it out to the Mississippi River." 

President Davis was very much grieved because 
General Lee had been compelled to surrender, but he 
knew that it could not be helped. He still hoped that 
with General Joseph E. Johnston's army, he might yet 
win the cause of the Confederacy. 

He therefore left Danville and, with his cabinet, went 
to Greensboro, North Carolina. Here he sent for Gen- 
eral Johnston and General Beauregard to meet with 
himself and his cabinet. He wished to learn their 
views relative to further resistance. Both generals 
advised him that it would be best for General Johnston 
to surrender and make an efi'ort to obtain favorable 
terms for the Confederacy. This course of action was 
agreed upon. Soon afterward, General Johnston sur- 
rendered all the troops east of the Mississippi River 
to General Sherman. But the terms which were made 
between Johnston and Sherman were not agreed to by 
the authorities at Washington. 

Mr. Davis now decided to go toward the south and 
to cross the Mississippi River. He went from Greens- 
boro to Washington, Georgia, where he was met by Mrs. 
Davis and their children. They stayed while here with 
the family of Dr. J. J. Robertson. In his house, the 
last cabinet meeting of the Confederacy was held. 



THE CLOSE OF THE CIVH. WAR 75 

Mr. Davis, his wife, and their four children, with two 
or three servants, left Washington after a few days and 
traveled south through Georgia. They were accom- 
panied by Mr. Reagan of Texas, Captain Moody of 
Mississippi, Governor Lubbock of Texas, Colonels 
Harrison and Johnston of his staff, and a few scouts and 
soldiers. 

By the evening of May 9, they had reached the 
vicinity of Irwinville in Irwin County, Georgia. The 
party camped for the night about two miles from Irwin- 
ville. They were all very tired, and all slept soundly 
except the pickets they had posted. Just at dawn, a 
party of Union soldiers attacked the camp and captured 
Mr. Davis and all those with him. Mr. Davis was 
carried to Macon. 

From this place he was taken to Fortress Monroe, 
which is on the coast of Virginia, near the mouth of the 
James River. Here he was closely confined and always 
guarded by soldiers placed in the room where he was. 

For a long time, he had suffered with a weak eye, and 
now he almost lost the use of it. But when he could, 
he read. He took this opportunity to read Bancroft's 
" History of the United States" andMacaulay's" History 
of England." He also spent a good deal of his time dis- 
cussing various subjects with his physician. Dr. Craven. 

At last he was allowed to walk about the fortress, 
always closely guarded. He was glad of this, for he 



76 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

needed the fresh, open air, but so many people came, 
through curiosity, to look at him that he was much 
annoyed, and he was tempted to give up his walks. Mrs. 
Davis was permitted, after a time, to come and live in 
the fort to minister to his wants and be near him. 

He was very anxious to have a trial so that he might 
explain and justify his course of action. He had been 
accused of many things in which he had no part. A 
trial was finally granted him, but he was not tried. ]\Ir. 
Davis always regretted this because he thought that 
he could have cleared his name of all the blame which 
had been placed upon it. He was bailed by the United 
States Court at Richmond, \^irginia, in May, 1867, 
after about two 3'ears spent in imprisonment. His 
bond, which was signed by Horace Greeley and several 
other men from the North, was placed at one hundred 
thousand dollars. There was great rejoicing through- 
out the South when he was released. 

CHAPTER X\^ 

BEAUVOIR 

As soon as Mr. Davis was free, he with ]\Irs. Davis 
and the small children went to his older children and 
their grandmother in Canada. After living there for 
about a year, he went to Europe and spent a year in 
travel and sightseeing. 



BEAUVOIR 77 

While he was in France, Emperor Louis Napoleon 
sent him a message, saying that if Mr. Davis desired 
an audience with him, one would be granted gladly. 
Mr. Davis promptly replied that he did not desire it. 
He refused the audience because, during the war, when 
the Confederacy had needed war vessels. Napoleon had 
agreed to allow them to be built in France, and after 
the vessels were finished, he had refused to allow them 
to leave French ports. 

He returned to America to become president of a life 
insurance company in Memphis, Tennessee, where he 
lived for some years. 

Mr. Davis wished to write a history of the Confed- 
eracy and for this purpose chose a quiet place on the 
coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This place was Beau- 
voir, a lovely country home near Biloxi, Mississippi, 
fanned by the gentle breeze from the gulf and soothed 
by the never-ending break and splash of the surf. 

The house, yet standing, is set in the center of a great, 
brown, sandy yard, facing the sea. About it are hun- 
dreds of magnolia, cedar, and oak trees, hung with 
Spanish moss. It is a big, white house with green 
shutters. There are cool deep galleries across the front 
and back, with a wide hall through the center. There 
is a wing on one side, and behind this, a kitchen covered 
with climbing rose vines. On both sides of the big 
house are little separate cottages. In one of these, 



78 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

secure from interruption, Mr. Davis wrote his history, 
the ''Rise and Fall of the Confederate States.'^ 

One who visited Beauvoir while Mr. Davis was yet 
living thus described the home: ''Beauvoir house is 
one of those fine old houses set out with quaint olden- 
timed furniture, rich in pictures and books and treasures 
that have been gathered from all parts of the world ; a 
home that has grown mellow and beautiful with time, 
and which neither money nor desire can obtain. Old- 
fashioned lounges and round divans, and big rocking- 
chairs, and old cabinets fill the wide hall. A grand- 
father clock stands like a carved oak cofiin on end, and 
the brass face looks out through the glass case upon a 
life with which it has nothing more to do. There are 
pictures on the tables and walls, and books and papers 
everywhere. A Turkish curtain as well as folding doors 
separates the front parlor from the back. The last is 
lined from the floor almost to the ceiling with book 
shelves, and the books overflow into every room in the 
house. Rare paintings and portraits cover the walls 
and door frames." 

Here in this home Mr. Davis, his wife, and Miss 
Winnie Davis, his youngest child, lived happy and peace- 
ful lives. They read a great deal, entertained their 
many visitors and friends, and did all the good they 
could. 

Miss Winnie was born in Richmond during the war. 



BEAUVOIR 79 

For this reason, she came to be called the ''Daughter of 
the Confederacy." She was a great favorite with her 
father. She read for him and even studied mihtary 
history and army tactics in order to be able better to 
interest and help him. 

Mr. Davis was a very learned man. He read and 
studied a great deal these latter years of his life in the 
quiet and retirement of Beau voir. On one of his visits 
to Scotland, he astonished the natives by his exact 
knowledge of their history. It was said that if the 
works of Burns and Scott were destroyed, they could 
be reproduced by Mr. Davis. 

He left his home several times to make visits through 
the South. He was always received with respect and 
joy by the people. On different occasions, he made 
addresses always full of wisdom and free from bitter- 
ness. 

His health was poor for a number of years. But 
through the careful nursing of Mrs. Davis, the skill of 
his physician, and his own prudence, he lived past his 
eighty-first year. 

In the autumn of 1889, business carried him to his 
Brierfield plantation. He felt so well when starting 
that he insisted that it was unnecessary for any one to 
go with him. While at the plantation, he became very 
ill and went back to New Orleans through bad weather. 
Here Mrs. Davis met him and took him at once to the 



8o JEFFERSON DAVIS 

home of Judge Charles E. Fenner in New Orleans. 
Every attention was given him. Friends sent flowers 
and delicacies until Mrs. Davis was forced to decline 
them. 

He grew worse in spite of all that could be done. Just 
before the end came, ]\Irs. Davis carried some medicine 
for him to take. He feebly motioned it away, saying 
gently, "Pray excuse me." Even in his last moments 
he did not forget the quiet courtesy which had always 
marked him as the gentleman. 

He died very quietly, early in the morning of the 6th 
of December, 1889. None of his family survived him 
except his wife and two daughters. 

The entire South mourned him and at once united 
to do him honor. Numerous telegrams came to the 
widow, expressing grief and sympathy. Among these 
was one sent by his former slaves. One old servant 
who was living in Florida learned of Mr. Davis's illness 
through the newspapers. At once he set out to see his 
old master, but he arrived too late to see him alive. He 
begged to be allowed to look upon his face. Every one 
save members of the family had been denied entrance 
to the death chamber, but old Miles Cooper was al- 
lowed to enter. When he was left alone with the " Mars 
Jeff" of his youth, his sobs and heartbroken grief were 
most pitiful. 

His old and lifelong friend. General George Wallace 




THE JEFFERSON DAVIS MONUMENT IN RICHMOND 
8l 



82 JEFFERSON DAVIS 

Jones, was present, having come all the way from 
Dubuque, Iowa. Many distinguished Southerners 
came to be at the funeral. 

The body was removed from the home of Judge 
Fenner and placed in the City Hall of New Orleans. 
This w^as draped in mourning, decorations of flowers 
were everywhere, small arms were stacked and cannon 
placed about, and soldiers were on guard. All spoke of 
grief, and the respect in which he was held by the people. 

Here the body lay in state until December 12. 
Thousands passed in silent procession to look for the 
last time on the features of the great old man. Many 
colored people were in the line. One of them, William 
Samford, said, " I loved him and can say that every 
colored man whom he ever owned loved him. He was 
a good, kind master." 

On the 12th, the body was interred with imposing 
ceremonies in Metaire cemetery. New Orleans. Several 
governors of states and generals were present, together 
with many other distinguished persons. 

In May, 1893, the remains were taken to Richmond, 
Virginia, and placed to rest in Hollywood cemetery. 
Everywhere along the route to Richmond, large crowds 
gathered to honor his memory. In Richmond a great 
procession of citizens and old soldiers escorted his dust 
to its final resting place. 

Most of the Southern States have made his birthday 



BEAUVOIR 83 

a legal holiday, and some states have erected monu- 
ments to him. The last act of the legislature of Ala- 
bama before adjourning in the summer of 1907 was to 
vote money to erect a monument to his memory. 

On June 4, 1907, all places of business in the South 
were closed and trains stood still for five minutes, 
while a beautiful and stately monument to him was 
unveiled in Richmond. It was erected through the 
efforts of the ladies of the Jefferson Davis Monument 
Association, the result of eighteen years of earnest 
work in collecting funds for the purpose. It was 
unveiled by a daughter of Mr. Davis, Mrs. Hayes of 
Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was assisted by her 
two young sons, the grandsons of Jefferson Davis. The 
scene was a most impressive one. The ceremonies were 
attended by thousands of the citizens of the South and 
the old Confederate soldiers, who were at the time gath- 
ered in Richmond for their annual reunion. 



ROBERT E. LEE 



8s 




ROBERT E. LEE 
86 



ROBERT E. LEE 
CHAPTER I 

THE LEE FAMILY 

In the eastern part of England is the county of 
Essex. Here, on its grassy slopes and among its great 
oaks, lived the Lees. The first of the name to live in 
Essex was Launcelot Lee. His home had been Loudon 
in France. But when William the Norman laid claim 
to the throne of England and prepared to invade and 
conquer the island, Launcelot left his home and fol- 
lowed the great duke. 

At the battle of Hastings in 1066, all day long with 
the other Normans, he had charged time and again up 
the hill on which the English had massed themselves. 
With their heavy battle-axes and broad two-edged 
swords, the Enghsh hewed and thrust stoutly to keep 
the Normans from their hearths and homes. But when 
night came, the English army was broken and driven 
from the field. William had become " the Conqueror," 
and he was soon made king of England. He took 
the lands and castles of the English and gave them to 

«7 



88 ROBERT E. LEE 

his bold Normans. To Launcelot Lee was given an 
estate in Essex. On it he and his sons and his sons' 
sons Hved for centuries. They were strong and brave 
in battle and loved to fight for the king in his wars. 

The family was a most worthy one, and some of its 
members were powerful. When Richard the Lion- 
Hearted went on a crusade to take the Holy Land from 
the Turks, Lionel Lee raised a company and went with 
him. At the siege of Acre, Lionel Lee fought with such 
energy and courage that Richard made him an earl. 
Another Lee who was great and honored in England 
was named Richard. In the sixteenth century, with 
the Earl of Surrey, he marched across the border to 
help fight the Scots. And thus there was nearly 
always a Lee who was doing something to make the 
name a known and honored one. 

In 1607, England sent some of its people to make 
settlements in Virginia. Many wonderful stories were 
told of what a fine country Virginia was. People all 
over England talked of the riches to be won there, and 
a great many of them left their homes and came to 
live in the new country. 

One of the Lees of that time was another Richard. 
As he wished to better his fortune, he made up his mind 
that he too would move to Virginia. And so with some 
of his friends and servants he came to the New World. 
Land was to be had almost free in Virginia. Richard 



THE LEE FAMILY . 89 

Lee soon owned large tracts of it. He at once began 
building on these lands and improving them, and it was 
not long before he became rich. He was a stout, well- 
built man, with ''sound sense and a kind heart," and 
it is said Robert E. Lee was much like him. This 
Richard Lee was the great-great-grandfather of Robert 
E. Lee. 

The family became powerful in America as it had 
become powerful in England. Among the many Lees 
you will hear of, there was the Lee who moved the 
Declaration of Independence in the American Con- 
gress, and no less than two Lees signed their names to 
that great paper. 

In the time of the American Revolution there was a 
Lee whose name was Henry. He was the bold, dashing 
leader of a legion of cavalry. Because he and his men 
could move so quietly and rapidly from place to place, 
he was called ''Light Horse Harry." In rank he was 
a colonel, and he did much in keeping the British in 
check. Congress gave him a fine gold medal for taking 
a fort called Paulus Hook. He was greatly loved by 
General Nathanael Greene, who, in a letter to him, said, 
"I believe few officers, in Europe or America, are held 
in so high esteem as yourself. ... I have the highest 
opinion of you as an officer, and you know I love you as 
a friend." 

After the Revolution ended. Colonel Henry Lee was 



90 



ROBERT E. LEE 



sent to the United States Congress. When Washington 
died, Colonel Lee made a great speech, in which he 
said that Washington was ''First in war, first in peace, 
and first in the hearts of his countrymen." 

But better than all his greatness and honor. Colonel 




Lee loved his home which was called Stratford House. 
It was first built by that Richard Lee, who came to Vir- 
ginia. Later, in the time of Thomas Lee, the house was 
burned. Then people almost everywhere gave money 
to Thomas Lee to help rebuild his home. The governor 
of Virginia and even Queen Anne herself helped. When 
all was ready, work was begun and a grand mansion was 



THE LEE FAMILY 



91 



built. In shape it was like the letter H, and on top 
were little summer houses where bands of music often 
played. This house was meant to be a home for the 
Lees for ages. 

It was set on the south bank of the Potomac. Far up 
and down the river, the boats could be seen as they came 
and went. The grounds were covered with fresh green 
grass, and large old oaks, cedars, and maples grew about 
the place. This home was always a gay and happy one. 
Some one in each generation was famous, and this 
caused the best company to visit Stratford House. 
When young people came, there was always fun and 
music, and every one was happy. Such was the home 
that Light Horse Harry, the father of Robert E. Lee, 
loved so well. 

He was a farmer and loved his farm. He liked to 
look after his horses and stock; he liked to ride over 
his broad plantation and see the beautiful green crops 
growing ; he liked to hunt and hear his hounds in full 
cry as they followed the fox through the valleys and 
over the hills. He was always glad to have company 
and the best of everything at Stratford House was free 
to all visitors. In short he was what has always been 
called a "Virginia gentleman." His own life would 
have fixed the name of Lee in history forever, but 
his son, Robert Edward, added to it a glory that can 
never die. 



92 ROBERT E. LEE 

CHAPTER II 

BIRTH AND BOYHOOD 

Robert Edward Lee, "Light Horse Harry's'^ 
youngest son, was born at Stratford House on the 19th 
of January, 1807. Of him as a very small boy we know 
almost nothing, but doubtless he cried when he felt 
like it, was fond of pies and cakes, and lost his father's 
pocket knives as most little boys do. 

At any rate when Robert was about four years old. 
Colonel Lee moved his family away from Stratford 
House. They were all sad to leave the dear old home, 
but they were going to Alexandria where there were 
good schools. Through misfortune. Colonel Lee had 
lost most of the family wealth and now he was eager 
to give his children the help of all the education he 
could. So Robert with the other children was soon sent 
to school at Alexandria Academy. It is said that he 
learned fast and gave his teachers no trouble. 

With his mother and some of the other children, 
Robert often went to spend a few days at Stratford 
House. They also sometimes visited his mother's 
old home, "Shirley." This was a grand house on a 
large plantation, belonging to his grandfather Carter. 

These visits were always filled with pleasure. In the 
daytime, with gun and dogs, he would hunt rabbits. 



BIRTH AND BOYHOOD 93 

squirrels, and deer. Sometimes he would go to the 
swamp to shoot ducks or wild geese. Then there were 
rowing and fishing and horseback riding. The last he 
probably liked best of all. At night he often went with 
others to hunt the fox. Sometimes he rode, but at 
other times he walked. A fox is not easily and quickly 
caught. The hounds often fail to catch him after run- 
ning him a night and a day. We are told that Robert 
would follow the hounds on foot all day. This was 
great sport and fine exercise for him, and he became 
robust and strong. When he was a man, he liked to 
tell of these sports of his youth, because they had 
done so much in making him the hardy, enduring sol- 
dier that he was. In this way and in going to school, 
most of his early boyhood was passed. 

When Robert was about six years old, something 
happened that grieved him very much. His father's 
health became so bad that he had to leave Robert and 
the rest of the family and go away for a change. A 
short time before this, Colonel Lee had been at the 
house of a friend in Baltimore. This friend was an 
editor, who had printed an article in his paper that 
some of the people did not like. For this reason a 
great many men gathered at his home to punish him. 
A quarrel resulted, and Colonel Lee was severely hurt. 
He was ill a long time, and it seemed that he could not 
get any better. At last his doctor told him he must go 



94 ROBERT E. LEE 

away where it was less cold, and so he went to the 
warm, sunny West Indies. He wrote kind, good letters 
home. In one of these he wished to know if his sons 
rode and shot well, and he said that a Virginian's sons 
should be taught to ride, to shoot, and to tell the truth. 

But the brave old Light Horse Harry did not get any 
better. He grew worse and after staying in these islands 
for five years, he decided that he could not get well and 
that he would go back home. He went on board a ship 
and started, but he had grown so ill by the time the 
vessel was near Cumberland Island, off the coast of 
Georgia, that he was put ashore. He went to ^'Dun- 
geness," the home of his old friend. General Greene. 
Here, although he was well cared for, he died two 
months after he landed. His body was buried amid 
the beautiful trees and flowers of Cumberland Island, 
and has never been removed to Virginia. 

At the time Colonel Henry Lee died, Robert was about 
eleven years old. He was now left head of the family, 
for the older brothers and sisters were all away. In the 
meantime, his mother's health had failed and she could 
not even walk. But she was gentle and tender and she 
loved Robert very much. His father had once written 
home, ''Robert was always good." This proved true 
now, for, to relieve his mother, he took charge of the 
house and the outdoor work as well. He bought the 
home supplies and saw that the horses were cared for. 



BIRTH AND BOYHOOD 95 

Besides his other work and his school duties, he was 
the nurse for his mother. He watched over her con- 
stantly. Each day as soon as school was out, the other 
boys might play, but Robert would leave them and 
hurry home to his mother. How strong and cheerful 
he was ! And how glad she was to see him! Then 
he would hitch the carriage and take her out for a ride 
in the fresh air. As they rode, he would try in every 
way he could to make her enjoy herself. He would 
tell her stories and try to make her laugh and forget that 
she was ill. He would tell her the ride would do her no 
good unless she were cheerful. Sometimes the wind 
blew cold and then it was not comfortable in the car- 
riage, for it was an old one. So he would pack paper 
in the cracks and thus keep out the cold. 

When not in school, he stayed with her nearly all the 
time. If he left her room, even for a moment, she 
scarcely took her eyes from the door till he came back. 
He mixed and gave all her medicines, and was so good 
to her that she once said, "How can I spare Robert ! 
he is both a son and a daughter to me." 

The old home in Alexandria where his mother lived 
was always very dear to him. Later in life when he had 
become great and famous, a friend once saw him look- 
ing over into the old garden. "I am looking to see if 
the old snowball trees are still hfere," he said. " I should 
be very sorry to miss them.'' 



96 ROBERT E. LEE 

CHAPTER III 

THE CADET 

At last the time came for Robert to decide what he 
was going to do in life. A great many of the Lees had 
been soldiers, and we have already seen what a good one 
his own father had been. Robert therefore made up 
his mind that he too would be a soldier, and would go 
to the Military Academy at West Point. 

But now that he had made his plans, he found that 
he did not know enough mathematics to enter West 
Point. So he went to school to a Mr. Benjamin Hallo- 
well, who was an excellent teacher and who soon taught 
Robert the mathematics he needed. Mr. Hallowell said 
of Robert that he was always ready with his lessons and 
that he never failed in a single recitation. He said that 
Robert liked to put a finish and neatness on his work as 
he went. In his study of mathematics, Robert had to 
draw diagrams on a slate. He drew them almost as 
neat and exact as those in the book, lettering and all. 

Robert kept at his work and was soon ready for West 
Point, which he entered in 1825, when he was about 
eighteen years old. He gave close and careful attention 
to his lessons. His gun and brasses were always bright 
and his uniform neat and clean. He neglected none of 
his duties, and he did not have a single demerit against 



THE CADET 97 

him during the entire four years' course. As the rules 
of the Academy are very strict, it is rare for any cadet 
to go through without a demerit. He neither smoked, 
drank, nor swore, but he was gay and full of fun. It 
was said that ''he was a perfect gentleman." 

Every summer when the cadets were dismissed from 
the Academy for vacation, Robert would at once go 
home to his mother. He was growing large and strong, 
and he was tall and very straight. His mother was 
always glad to see him, and she was very proud of her 
handsome son. He would stay with her and care for 
her until time came to go back to West Point. Then 
he was soon busy at his studies again. 

In 1829 when he was twenty-tw^o years of age, he 
graduated. He was second in his class, and in rank had 
risen to be adjutant of the battalion. 

Now that he had completed his course, he again went 
home. His mother had grown very ill and weak. He 
stayed near her all the time. He would not leave her 
to be cared for by any one else. All that he could, he 
did for her, but his care could not save her hfe. He was 
at her side to the last. She left him about two months 
after he reached home from West Point. 

Soon afterwards. Uncle Nat, the old family coachman, 
became very ill. Robert at once took the aged negro 
and carried him to the South. He nursed the faithful 
slave with great care and did all he could to get him well 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS 7 



98 ROBERT E. LEE 

again. But it was all in vain, and it was not long before 
good old Uncle Nat was buried and Robert went back 
home. Robert stayed at home for a time to rest and 
to settle up his mother's business affairs. 

CHAPTER IV 

THE ENGINEER 

During the year in which he graduated, Robert 
entered the United States Corps of Engineers. It is a 
sort of reward to be a member of this Corps, because it 
is made up of the first-honor men of each class that 
graduates from West Point. Their lives, however, 
are not all play, but for the most part, the young engi- 
neers are kept quite busy. In times of peace, it is their 
duty to care for the forts built as coast or inland defenses 
or to improve them or even to erect new ones. Mem- 
bers of the Corps are sometimes sent to survey the 
boundary lines between states. At other times they 
superintend the work of clearing the rocks, logs, and 
other debris from the large rivers so that vessels may 
pass up and down them. 

When Robert became a member of the Corps, he was 
made a brevet Heutenant. He was first sent to the coast 
of Virginia, where he was busied in building and repair- 
ing Fortress Monroe. He did not dream that it would 



THE ENGINEER 



99 



be his task in future years to try to tear down his work 
here in a great Civil War. 

In June, 1831, Lieutenant Lee married Mary Custis. 
She w^as the daughter of George Washington Parke 
Custis, who w^as the adopted son of General George 
Washington. The home of Mr. Custis was called 




ARLINGTON 



Arlington. It was a grand place on the Virginia bank 
of the Potomac, not far from Washington City. Two 
years after his marriage, Lieutenant Lee was put on 
duty at Washington. He was glad of this, for now he 
could be near his wife at Arlington. In 1835, he ran 
the boundary line that separates Ohio and Michigan. 
The next year he was made a first lieutenant. 



lOO ROBERT E. LEE 

In 1837, he did a really wonderful thing. At St. 
Louis, in Missouri, the current of the Mississippi River 
is wide and strong. During the year it had broken out 
of its bed and was spreading its waters over the coun- 
try, doing a great deal of damage to crops and homes. 

The people of St. Louis set aside a large sum of money 
to pay for getting the river turned back into its old bed. 
But it was not enough, and besides, no one had been 
found that could do the work. So they asked the United 
States government to help them. General Winfield 
Scott, who was the commander in chief of the American 
army, sent Lieutenant Lee to control the mad waters of 
the great river. General Scott wrote to the St. Louis 
people and said, "He is young, but if the work can be 
done, he can do it." So Lieutenant Lee went to St. 
Louis. He began to examine the river, its banks, and 
the country round about. As he wished to perform his 
task well, he would not begin in a hurry before he knew 
what would be the best way. He was spending some 
of his time in finding out how the river could be turned 
and in making his plans. 

In the meantime the river was spreading its waters 
wider and wider, and certain ruin seemed to be at hand 
for the city and country about. Naturally the people 
were eager for the work to begin at once. They com- 
plained and tried to hurry Lieutenant Lee, but they 
could not, for his plans were not ready. Then they told 



THE ENGINEER loi 

him they would withdraw the money they had set apart 
for the work. They did not know what a great, strong 
dike he was getting ready to build. Lee did not com- 
plain at their threat, but simply said, ''They can do 
as they like with their own money, but I was sent here 
to do certain work and I shall do it." And he kept 
right on as he had begun. 

Some of the people at last became very angry with 
him and wanted to drive him away. It is said they even 
placed cannon to iire on Lee and his men. But he 
calmly kept on with his own plans until he had begun 
and finished the dikes that forced the river back into 
its old bed. These dikes are still there in use, showing 
how well the young engineer performed his task. 

Then, for a time, he was at work on the coast defenses 
of New York Bay. He was stationed at Fort Hamilton, 
not far from New York City. While here, Lee was one 
day on a boat that was crossing the harbor. He saw 
a small dog struggling in the water. She was about to 
be drowned by the waves from the boat and was whin- 
ing piteously. Lee's heart was too tender to let her 
drown, so he got her out of the water and carried her 
home with him. His children were delighted to have so 
nice a dog. They gladly welcomed her and soon made 
her a great pet. They named her Dart. She and the 
cat ate from the same plate, but not at the same time, 
for Dart had to wait till the cat finished. If Dart dared 



102 ROBERT E. LEE 

to take a bite while the cat was eating, her face was 
Hkely to feel the scratch of sharp claws. But Dart 
was loved and happy, and stayed with the family the 
rest of her life. 

Lee's work and duty were faithfully performed, and 
his superiors knew how worthy he was. In 1838, he 
was made a captain. Then six years later, in 1844, he 
was put on the Board of Visitors to the Academy at 
West Point. It is the duty of this Board to visit the 
Academy and to examine the teaching and training 
there and also to see that these things are done as they 
should be. The next year he was made a member of 
the Board of Engineers of the United States. And thus 
you see he was rising steadily to higher rank and to posi- 
tions of greater trust and power. 



CHAPTER V 

THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS 

When the Mexican War began, Captain Lee was sent 
as chief engineer with the army of General Wool, which 
was to enter Mexico from the north. One day news 
was brought to General Wool that Santa Anna with an 
army had crossed a mountain and had pitched camp not 
more than twenty miles away. It was thought that 
Santa Anna was going to attack Wool's army. 



THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS 103 

Captain Lee said he would go and find out if the 
report were true and try to learn where Santa Anna 
really was. So he set out. General Wool sent some 
men on horses to meet him at a certain place and go 
with him. But when Captain Lee reached the place of 
meeting, the guard of cavalry had not come up. As 
time was valuable, Lee made up his mind not to wait 
for his escort. With a single Mexican for guide, Cap- 
tain Lee went on. The Mexican did not like to show 
Lee the way, but Lee drew his pistol, and the Mexican 
was afraid to lead him in a wrong direction. 

So on they went. After a long ride, they came into a 
road. Here they saw a great many mule and wagon 
tracks, leading toward where it was said Santa Anna 
was encamped. Lee followed these tracks for miles. 
At last night began to come on. Then in the dusk and 
distance, he saw what looked like camp fires and tents. 
But he was not sure they were fires and tents. In order 
to be certain, he went on up, nearer and nearer. Fi- 
nally, when he was very close, he saw that the tents were 
not tents at all, but a large drove of sheep feeding on the 
mountain side. The fires were not the camp fires of 
Santa Anna, but those of some Mexicans who had in 
charge great numbers of wagons, mules, cattle, and 
sheep. It was amusing to Lee that he had come so near 
to being mistaken. 

He now went on up to the Mexicans and learned from 



I04 ROBERT E. LEE 

them that Santa Anna had not crossed the mountains. 
Captain Lee rode back to General Wool and told him 
what he had found out. He had now already ridden 
more than forty miles, but as General Wool was still 
eager to know where the Mexican army was, Lee again 
set out to find it. This time he rode clear over the 
mountains, and having found out exactly where the 
army was, he carried the information back to his 
commander. 

Later the army of General Wool w^as joined to that of 
General Taylor. When a part of Taylor's soldiers were 
sent to General Scott, Lee was among them, and thus he 
came under the command of Scott. 

As a captain of engineers, Lee's duties were quite 
difficult and dangerous. He had to examine carefully 
the ground on which the battles were to be fought, and 
he had to choose positions where the big guns could be 
placed to do the enemy the greatest damage. It was 
his duty to obtain all the information he could that would 
be useful for the guidance of the commander in advanc- 
ing or retreating, and also to make maps of the country 
through which the army might pass. He planned and 
overlooked the building of bridges to be used by the 
troops. And then he must lead the way for the army on 
the routes previously searched out and prepared. This 
is very important work when an army is on the march. 
Lee w^as thought by all to be very superior at it. 



THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS 105 

His first task after he joined General Scott's army, was 
to help take Vera Cruz. This Mexican city was on the 
seacoast, and it had high, thick walls around it. Cap- 
tain Lee's work here was to place the cannon and build 
the forts. In order to place the big guns best, he had 
to hunt for high places from which a clear and open 
shot at the walls and city could be had. 

Once, while looking for a good place in which to 
station a gun, he went too far from his own men. Sud- 
denly he found himself right in among the Mexican sol- 
diers. He hardly knew what to do. But as none of 
them had yet seen him, he quickly looked about for 
some hiding place. He saw a large fallen tree near 
by, and quietly hid himself behind it and lay very still. 

There was a spring not far away to which the Mexi- 
cans came to get water. While Lee was lying behind the 
tree, the Mexicans were passing to and from the spring. 
Some of them stopped and even sat on the log to rest 
and talk. iVt last they left, but he did not stir. He 
waited till it was dark. Then he came from behind the 
tree and went back to his friends as quietly and as 
quickly as he could. 

He now worked day and night at planting the guns 
and building the forts. When all was ready, the fight- 
ing began. Captain Lee himself took part in it. One 
of his brothers. Lieutenant Sydney Smith Lee, served 
one of the big guns. Robert watched after his brother 



io6 ROBERT E. LEE 

always. He feared Sydney would be killed. Robert 
wrote home that his eyes turned to his brother, no mat- 
ter where he himself had to be. He said he remained 
with Sydney when his own duties did not require him 
elsewhere. Captain Lee said his brother's good na- 
ture did not forsake him in the battle, for he could see 
his white teeth every time the smoke cleared. This 
shows something of how the Lees loved and admired 
each other. Neither of them was hurt in the fighting 
around Vera Cruz. 

Captain Lee had placed the guns where they did a 
great deal of harm to the city and brought terror and 
death to the people. He knew he was doing his duty, 
yet his tender heart caused him to suffer much. In a 
letter that he wrote, he said that the shells from the 
American guns were very beautiful while flying through 
the air, but that they were very destructive when they 
fell. ''It was awful," he said, "my heart bled for the 
inhabitants — and it was terrible to think of the 
women and children." The fighting was over in about 
a week, and Vera Cruz had fallen into the hands of the 
Americans. 

General Scott's plan now was to march his army to the 
city of Mexico, because it was thought if the capital 
could be taken, the country would be conquered. When 
the army had marched about fifteen miles, they neared a 
difficult pass in the mountains, called Cerro Gordo. As 



THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS 107 

Santa Anna thought at this pass would be a good place 
to check the advance of the Americans, he had taken his 
l^osition in it. His army was protected by deep ravines 
and by steep, high cliffs. On a rocky height far above 
his army, he had placed cannons to fire down on the 
Americans as they came up the one open way. It 
seemed almost impossible to get at Santa Anna's army 
to make an attack, and if this could be done, the Ameri- 
can advance would be checked as the Mexican com- 
mander had planned. On one side the cliffs were so 
steep and dangerous that Santa Anna said he thought 
not even a goat could climb them. He felt perfectly 
safe and was sure that General Scott could go no farther. 
But as Santa Anna was so sure that this steep side 
could not be climbed, he did not place any soldiers to 
guard it. So when Lee and some other engineers were 
sent to find a route by which the Mexican army could 
be attacked, they decided that this would be the best 
place. Lee set some men to work, and they made a 
road to it during the night. The next day there sud- 
denly appeared, right before the Mexicans, a large part 
of the American army, at the very place where Santa 
Anna least expected them. The fighting began, but it 
did not last long, for Lee had planned everything so 
well that it was easy to drive the Mexicans from the 
pass. This victory was won April 18, 1847. Soon 
after it. General Scott wrote to the War Department 




CAPTAIN' LEE AND THE DRUMMER BOY 



loS 



THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS 



109 



that he felt it his duty to make "special mention of 
R. E. Lee, engineer." For his conduct in the battle, 
Lee was made a brevet major. 

While this battle was being fought. Captain Lee 
heard a little girl crying. He went to see about it and 
found her standing near the side of a hut. On the 
ground lay a little Mexican drummer boy, who had been 
wounded in his arm. He had fallen, and on him lay a 
big ^Mexican soldier, who had been shot. The boy 
could not get up, so Lee had the big soldier thrown off 
and the boy put in a safe place. The little dark-skinned^ 
black-eyed, black-haired sister did her best to thank 
Lee for saving her brother. 

Captain Lee loved children, and amid all his march- 
ing, planning, and fighting, he could not forget his own 
children, but he found time to write them long letters. 
After the battle of Cerro Gordo, he wrote his son Cus- 
tis, ''I thought of you, my dear Custis, on the i8th in 
the battle and wondered when the musket balls and 
grape were whistling over my head in a perfect shower 
where I could put you, if with me, to be safe. I was 
truly thankful that you were at school, I hope learning 
to be wise and good. You have no idea what a horrible 
sight a battlefield is." 

The Christmas before this, as Captain Lee could not 
go home, he wrote a long letter to his children. '^I 
hope," he wrote, "that good Santa Claus will fill my 



no ROBERT E. LEE 

Rob's stocking to-night ; that Mildred's, Agnes's, and 
Anna's may break down with good things. I do not 
know what he may have for 3^ou, Custis and Mary, but 
if he leaves you one half of what I wish, you will want 
for nothing." Some of the officers had their wives and 
children along with them in Mexico. Since he could 
not be with his own. Captain Lee played Santa Claus 
for these officers' children, and made them very happy. 
After the battle of Cerro Gordo, General Scott's army 
marched on for days and days, over hills and moun- 
tains, toward Mexico. This city was protected by 
strong farts and castles round about it, which would 
have to be stormed before it could be taken. The Amer- 
ican army was approaching the city by a road leading 
to it from the south. On this road, about six miles 
from the capital, was a Mexican farm called the Haci- 
enda of San Antonio. Here the Mexicans had placed a 
large force of soldiers and had planted some cannons in 
commanding positions. On the right of the road was 
Lake Chalko, and on the left was what was called the 
Pedrigal. This Pedrigal had once in ages long past 
been a boiling sea of molten lava from a volcano. 
Now, as it by degrees cooled, it split and cracked and 
broke into all sorts of rough, uneven, jagged ridges and 
deep chasms. It was a very dangerous place and could 
hardly be crossed at all. So you see that it seemed for 
a second time that the Americans were checked. 



THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS III 

When General Scott^s army came up, the Mexican 
force at the farm was too large to be driven away, and 
the only chance for the Americans to proceed seemed 
to be in finding a way around. Now, far over beyond 
the Pedrigal was another road leading from the south- 
west to the city. General Scott sent Lee and other 
engineers to find a way across the Pedrigal. The 
others, finding it so hard and dangerous a task, soon 
gave up and went back to camp, but Captain Lee kept 
searching until he found a narrow path, which was barely 
wide enough for a single mule to pass. 

The Americans began work and broke this path out 
wide enough so the men could pass and so cannon and 
wagons could be carried across. When all was ready, 
Captain Lee led a part of the American army across the 
Pedrigal. At last, after hard work, they came out on 
the great highway to the city from the southwest. Here 
was a little town and, on a high rock, was a fortress 
called Contreras. It was held by Mexican troops. 

There were not enough Americans in the division 
that had crossed the Pedrigal to take Contreras. A 
message had to be carried to General Scott at the Ha- 
cienda of San Antonio. It was five miles back, and all 
knew there were Mexicans in hiding, everywhere. Be- 
sides, the night was very dark and a storm was raging. 

Captain Lee was again the man who could. He set 
out and made the trip safely, despite the darkness, the 



112 ROBERT E. LEE 

storm, and the Mexicans who would have been glad to 
capture him. General Scott said that this was the 
greatest, boldest feat of any one man during the whole 
campaign. Lee, having returned to Contreras, led the 
attack, which was successful. Then another fortress 
called Cherubusco was stormed by the Americans. 
For bravery in this battle, Lee was brevetted lieuten- 
ant colonel. 

The last of the forts that stood between the Americans 
and the city of Mexico was Chapultepec. Captain 
Lee was again put to work to place the batteries of big 
guns. He was busy day and night until all was ready. 
Then the batteries boomed away at Chapultepec, day 
after day. The Mexicans were firing at the Americans 
too. In this engagement Lee was wounded. He had 
already lost two whole nights of sleep, so he was very 
weak and weary, but he did not give up till he fainted. 
His wound was not a serious one and he was soon 
well. 

General Scott again praised Lee for his energy and 
courage, and afterwards declared that his own success 
in Alexico was largely due to the ''skill, valor, and un- 
daunted energy of Robert E. Lee." Lee was now made 
a colonel. 

At last the capital of Mexico was taken. General 
Scott and his army marched in, and Colonel Lee was 
with the squadron that went to the Grand Plaza and 



THE CAPTAIN OF ENGINEERS 113 

took possession of the Halls of the Montezumas. As 
most of the Mexican government ofhcers had left the 
city, the Americans had the palace and public buildings 
to themselves. 

There was no more fighting. But the army had to 
wait in Mexico until a treaty of peace could be made and 
agreed upon. Meanwhile, Colonel Lee took great in- 
terest in the terms of the treaty. He thought it would 
not be fair to make the Mexicans give up too much 
because they were whipped. He said, ''I would not 
exact more now than before the war. I should wish 
nothing but what is just, and that I would have sooner 
or later." 

General Scott and some of his officers had had differ- 
ences during the campaign. Colonel Lee spent a part 
of his spare time now in trying to bring these officers 
to a better understanding with their commander, and 
he succeeded very well. 

Colonel Lee and the other engineer officers also passed 
a portion of their time in making surveys and drawings 
of the city and its defenses. One evening some of the 
officers were talking together in one of the Mexican 
palaces. They were speaking of the dangers and diffi- 
culties they had overcome on the march from Vera 
Cruz to the city of Mexico. Then it was proposed that 
they drink a toast to Colonel Lee, of the engineers, to 
whose skill so great a part of their success was due. All 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 8 



114 ROBERT E. LEE 

gladly agreed. And then it was discovered that Lee 
was not present. 

One of the officers went to look for him. At last Lee 
was found all alone in a distant room of the palace. He 
was busy drawing a map. The officer said to him, 
" What are you doing here ? Why are you not enjoying 
yourself with us?" 

Lee looked up and pointed to his drawing instruments. 

"But," said the officer, '^this is drudgery. Leave it 
to some one else to do." 

Lee replied, "No. I cannot do that. I am only 
doing my duty." 

A great many of the officers in the army, now that 
the war was ended, were eager for promotion because 
of their services. And so they and their friends began 
to ask the President to give them higher and better 
positions in the army. But Colonel Lee said he hoped 
none of his friends would trouble themselves on his 
account. He said if the President saw fit to bestow any 
promotion on him, he would gratefully receive it, and 
he had no doubt that whatever he might be given in 
that way would be greater than he deserved. 

Finally, the treaty between the United States and 
Mexico was made and signed. Then there was noth- 
ing left the American army but to return home. 
Colonel Lee could now go to his wife, his boys, and 
girls, and so he set out. Traveling in those days was 



AT HOME 115 

still slow, for there were not yet many railroads and 
steamboats. However, he at last reached Washington 
City, and would soon be at Arlington. 



CHAPTER VI ' 

AT HOME 

Colonel Lee's family was expecting him. A car- 
riage was sent to Washington to meet him. But he 
missed it, and so rode on to Arlington alone. The 
distance was short, and he was soon there. His little 
dog, Spec, was the first one on the place to meet him. 
Spec jumped and barked and was so glad that he 
could not be still. 

Colonel Lee's little son, Robert Edward, Jr., had never 
seen his father. So when he knew his soldier papa was 
coming home, he wished to put on his best dress. This 
dress was made of a pretty cloth with a blue ground, 
having a white diamond figure. Little Robert thought 
it very fine, and he was extremely proud of it. His 
black mammy, Eliza, objected to his wearing it, but 
he was going to see his father for the first time, and so 
he had his way. Then clad in his finest, with his hair 
curled in long golden ringlets, he felt very grand. As 
it chanced, he had company that day. A Httle friend 
of about his own age was visiting him. So together 



Ii6 ROBERT E. LEE 

they went into the large front room to wait for the 
hero, the great soldier, to come. 

At last they heard Spec's barking and then they saw 
a tall, fine-looking man in a beautiful soldier's uniform 
ride up. He dismounted and came springing up the 
steps and into the room. Little Robert knew this was 
his father, but big Robert did not know his son so 
well. For after he had greeted the others of his family. 
Colonel Lee said, ''Where is my little boy ?" He soon 
found little Robert and his friend who were back behind 
the larger boys and girls, and then he took up the little 
friend and hugged and kissed him. The great soldier 
thought this was his own little boy. Of course Robert 
got his share of hugging and love pretty soon, but he 
was grieved that his father had mistaken his friend for 
himself, even though he was wearing his best dress. 

Colonel Lee had seven children. As you might like to 
know their names, here they are in the order of their 
ages. First was George Washington Custis, then Mary, 
WiUiam Henry Fitzhugh, Annie, Agnes, Robert Ed- 
ward, and Mildred. Now that he was at home again, 
they were all very happy. But he had been away so 
long that even the older boys and girls hardly knew 
him. His face had some lines in it, and his hair was just 
beginning to become gray. So he did not look as they 
had expected. They would gaze at him and seem to be 
wondering. This was funny to him, and he laughed at 





■ 


\i,:^*^ 


f 


w>^ 


im 





COLONEL ROBERT E. LEE 
From a photograph taken about 1852 



ii8 ROBERT E. LEE 

them. But they soon got used to his looks, and then 
they all had good times with him. 

A great many of the soldiers brought back curious 
things which they got in Mexico. But to many people 
the queerest thing Lee brought home was a bottle of 
whisky that he had carried through the whole war 
without opening. A lady had given it to him when he 
started to Mexico, saying she was sure he would need it. 
But he had not needed it, and he had shown that it was 
possible to be a brave soldier without using whisky. 
It was once said of him that he had none of the smaller 
vices, such as smoking, chewing, drinking, and swearing, 
and that not even his bitterest enemies had ever accused 
him of any of the greater vices. 

Lee dearly loved his family and his home. His 
thoughts were always turning to them. In one of 
his letters home from Mexico, he wrote, ''Oh, what 
pleasure I lose in being separated from my children ! 
Nothing can compensate me for that.'^ 

As the war was now ended and there was no more 
fighting. Colonel Lee rested for a while, then went back 
to his work on the Corps of Engineers. He was put in 
charge of some fortifications that were being erected 
near Baltimore. So now he could have his family with 
him and they could be at home together. Going to 
Baltimore in 1849, they lived there for three years. 

Each morning a boat was brought to the wharves 



AT HOME 119 

at the southern end of the city by some soldiers, 
who came to carry Colonel Lee to the works. After 
he reached the fortifications, he would spend the day 
there overlooking and directing what was done. Some- 
times he carried little Robert with him. At noon they 
would go to a farmhouse near by, and then they would 
have a good country dinner. 

One morning Colonel Lee took Robert down to the 
wharf to see a vessel that had just reached port from 
Vera Cruz. The vessel was being unloaded. At last 
they saw a mustang pony swung off. He had been on 
the voyage a long time and had had very little attention. 
He was very tired and sick, and all together, he was a 
sad-looking pony. He had been sent to Colonel Lee for 
Robert, who now took charge of Santa Anna, as the 
pony was named, and began to curry and feed him. 
The pony was soon looking better, and with the help of 
a big strong Irishman, Robert learned to ride him. 
Santa Anna was then a member of the Lee family. 

Colonel Lee's own horse was named Grace Darhng. 
She was a beautiful and faithful one. She had carried 
her master through the Mexican War. She had gone 
through many dangers and had not always escaped 
unhurt, for she had been wounded no less than seven 
times. When Lee started. home from the war, he was 
eager to reach his wife, his boys, and girls, as quickly as 
possible. But as he knew that the shortest route home 



I20 ROBERT E. LEE 

was very hard on horses, he chose a longer route for the 
sake of his faithful Grace Darling. So now he had her 
with him in Baltimore, and she, too, was for many years 
a member of the family. 

Often Colonel Lee on Grace Darling and Robert on 
Santa Anna went for a ride. Santa Anna was an ex- 
cellent horse to canter, but Colonel Lee had Robert 
make him trot, as he said the ''hammering" was good 
for his son. He thought it would make the boy strong 
and hardy to ride roughly. They took many of these 
rides during the years at Baltimore. 

You remember Lee's dog Dart, that he saved from 
drowning in New York Harbor ? Well, one day while 
the family was still living at Fort Hamilton, Dart came 
and whined and begged some one to go with her. She 
wanted to show some little wooly, squirming, blind 
puppies. She seemed very proud of them. But as 
there were now more dogs than the Lees needed at their 
house, when they had grown large enough, all of them 
except one went to live with other people, who wanted 
dogs. The one that stayed with them was named Spec. 

Spec grew rapidly. He was a pretty, black-and-tan 
terrier. It was suggested that his tail and ears be 
cropped, but Colonel Lee would not allow this to be 
done. Like all puppies. Spec was a wonderfully smart 
dog. It was not long before he seemed to feel that he 
was the most important one of the family. 



AT HOME 121 

Colonel Lee was very fond of him. He often talked 
to Spec as though he were one of his children. While 
Lee was in Mexico, Spec became ill. Then Colonel Lee 
wrote his wife a letter, asking if she could not cure poor 
Spec. ''Cheer him up," he wrote, ''take him to walk 
with you and tell the children to cheer him up." He 
did not want his dog to die. Another time he sent this 
message to Spec from Mexico, "Tell him I wish he 
were here with me. He would have been of great 
service in telHng me when I was coming upon the Mexi- 
cans. When I was reconnoitering around Vera Cruz, 
their dogs frequently told me by barking when I was 
approaching them too nearly." Lee also loved his cats, 
but Spec was so jealous that as long as he lived the 
cats received very little attention. 

While the Lees lived in Baltimore, Spec always went 
to church with them. During the service, he would sit 
and look very serious. Some of the other children at 
church thought his actions very funny, so they laughed 
at him and made a noise. For this reason, Colonel Lee 
decided that Spec must not go to church any more. 
He was therefore shut in a room upstairs to stay while 
the family went to services without him. As Spec 
did not like this, he barked and howled at a great rate. 
When he looked from the window and saw them leaving, 
he barked and howled worse than ever. He saw the 
children looking back and knew they were sorry for 



122 ROBERT E. LEE 

him. After they were out of sight, he seemed to think 
he could never stand it to be left alone such a long time, 
for he jumped out of the window to the hard paved 
street below. It did not hurt him too badly to keep 
him from traveling, so he limped off as fast as he could 
and got to church just as the Lees were entering. The 
younger children were delighted. After that, Spec went 
to church whenever he wished to go. It was while the 
Lees lived in Baltimore that Spec at last died and was 
buried with fitting honors. 

Colonel Lee petted his two younger children, Robert 
and Mildred, a great deal. In the evenings before they 
went to bed, he would tell them stories. If they grew 
sleepy and began to nod, he would arouse them by 
poking them with his toes. Often when they awoke 
in the morning, they would go and get into his warm 
bed with him, for there was nothing they liked better. 
Then while he told them interesting stories, they would 
cuddle very close to him and listen. He often played 
with the children. Sometimes he would jump or run 
with the boys. 

He was always kind and good. Some ladies in Balti- 
more said, ''Everybody and everything, — his family, 
his friends, his horse, his dog, — everything loves Colonel 
Lee." And this was true, for he loved them, and they 
in turn loved him. 

After a time, in 1852, Lee was made Commandant 



AT HOME 123 

of the Military Academy at West Point. Again he 
could have his family with him — his wife, his boys and 
girls, Grace Darling, Santa Anna, the dogs and cats, — 
all went to live with him there. Colonel Lee's oldest 
son, Custis, was already a cadet in the Academy. 

Lee began, while at West Point, to train Robert, who 
had now grown to be quite a large boy, to attend to his 
own room just as the cadets did. Robert made his 
own bed, dusted his floor, and put away his own clothes, 
and each day his room was inspected by his father. 
Robert was proud to have him do this and was always 
very glad when his father said the room was in good 
order. Colonel Lee was training Robert in this way to 
make him practical and useful. 

While at West Point, young Robert was in school 
most of the time. His father would often go to his 
room at night and help him with his lessons. He did 
not read the Latin sentences nor give him answ^ers to 
the problems, but he would ask questions that led Rob- 
ert to get them right for himself. Whenever Robert 
brought home a good report. Colonel Lee was very 
proud, but he always insisted on Robert's getting the 
highest marks possible. Colonel Lee and this son Rob- 
ert were close companions. 

Colonel Lee now gave Robert a small gun. There 
were a great many crows in the near-by fields and 
woods. To encourage Robert to hunt these cunning 




COLONEL LEE INSPECTING HIS SON S ROOM 



124 



AT HOME 125 

and troublesome birds, he offered him a reward for 
every crow's scalp he could take. With great eagerness, 
Robert began hunting. In the woods he would sight 
a crow and then he would creep stealthily along until 
he thought he was almost near enough to shoot. But 
before he could take aim and fire, ''Caw, caw ! " and 
away would fly the watchful crow, leaving Robert to 
follow him or to hunt up another one. He was de- 
termined, however, and after several days he at last 
killed two crows. He now thought he could kill any 
number, and his enthusiasm knew no bounds. He 
began to plan the many things he would buy with the 
money he was going to make by killing crows. Colonel 
Lee paid him the reward promised, but Robert thought 
he saw a sly twinkle in his father's eyes when he boasted 
of how many more of the mischievous birds he would 
kill. This did not discourage him, and he kept up his 
hunting with great vigor, but Robert killed no more 
crows and Colonel Lee paid no more rewards. 

The two still took their long rides together on Grace 
Darling and Santa Anna. On one of these rides, they 
saw three cadets in the road ahead of them. As 
soon as the cadets saw the Commandant and Robert, 
they leaped over a wall and ran into a thicket. As they 
rode on. Colonel Lee did not say anything for a time. 
Then he said to Robert, ''Did you know those young 
men ? But no ; if you did, don't say so. I wish boys 



126 ROBERT E. LEE 

would do what is right ; it would be so much easier for 
all parties." As it was against the rules for the cadets 
to leave the Academy and go beyond certain limits 
without permission, it would have been Colonel Lee's 
duty to punish them if he had learned who they were. 
Not being quite sure about this, he was willing for the 
three boys to have the benefit of the doubt. 

Lee's family and friends persuaded him to have his 
portrait painted while he was Commandant at West 
Point. He sat for it only once. After that, the painter 
had to finish the work from memory and from glimpses 
he could catch as Colonel Lee w^ent about the campus. 
Lee said he had no time to sit down to have his por- 
trait painted. The picture, however, was said to be 
a most excellent likeness of him. 

On Saturday there was always a half holiday at 
West Point. Most of the cadets were at a distance 
from their homes, and were thus mostly cut off from 
social life. So in order to make them have a better 
time, nearly every Saturday evening, some of them were 
invited to Colonel Lee's house for supper. They would 
come dressed in their uniforms, very stiff* and grand. At 
first they usually would be very much embarrassed to 
find themselves in company with the Commandant, 
but Colonel Lee would talk so freely and easily with 
them about things they understood and were interested 
in that they were soon feeling comfortable and were 



THE CA.VALRY OFFICER 127 

having good times. It was thought a great honor 
among the cadets to be invited to his home. 

Colonel Lee was always a very prompt man. He was 
never late. He was always the first one of the family to 
be ready for church. He would sometimes tease Mrs. 
Lee for being late or forgetting something at the last 
moment. When he was ready, he would wait for the 
others as long as he could, not to be late himself. He 
would then say, ''I'm off," and march along to church 
with any of the children that happened to be ready. At 
church he sat up very straight, and you may be sur- 
prised to learn that he sometimes napped a little when 
the sermon was long. But he was a good man and 
a true Christian, 

In this chapter, we have seen something of Lee at 
home with his wife, his boys and girls, his horses, cats, 
and dogs. This period of three years in Baltimore and 
three years at West Point was the longest he was ever 
permitted to spend with his family. It was a very 
happy time for them all, and his children never forgot it. 



CHAPTER VII 

THE CAVALRY OFFICER 

As we have already seen, while Jefferson Davis was 
Secretary of War, two regiments of cavalry were added 



128 ROBERT E. LEE 

to the United States army. In 1855, Lee was ap- 
pointed lieutenant colonel in one of the regiments, 
the Second. So he left West Point to take this place. 
It was the first time Lee had ever been a commander 
of men in the army. Before this he had been merely 
an engineer. After Albert Sidney Johnston, Lee was 
the highest officer in his regiment. 

The family now went to Arlington to live, while he 
went with his regiment to Texas. Their happy home 
life together was broken up. 

At this time, there were in Texas two tribes of espe- 
cially troublesome Indians, the Apaches and the 
Comanches. The United States government was try- 
ing to care for them as well as to control them, but they 
were very savage and hard to manage. The Comanches 
were a fierce tribe that ate raw meat, slept on the ground, 
and were thieves and murderers. They w^ere fine horse- 
men, and on their tough ponies they liked to leave their 
retreats during the summer, kill the whites, and drive 
off their cattle and horses for themselves. 

The government had a line of forts built and then put 
soldiers in them to watch for the Indians and to drive 
them away whenever a raid was attempted. But still 
the Indians could not be kept from doing a great deal of 
harm. So Colonel Lee's regiment of cavalry was to 
spend a part of its time between the forts to keep the 
Indians in check. 



THE CAVALRY OFFICER 129 

Near Lee's first post, Camp Cooper, was an Indian 
Reserve. Here the Indians would come to be fed by the 
government during the winter when it was cold and food 
scarce. But in the spring when the grass grew, and game 
and cattle were fat, they would go off and get ready to 
make a raid on the white people who had fed them. 

One of their chiefs was named Catumseh. Lee visited 
this old chief and told him that he would treat him as 
a friend as long as he behaved, but if he did not act as 
he should, he would treat him as an enemy. Catumseh 
did not hke this talk from the American officer, so he 
gave an ugly grunt and said that since he had six wives, 
he was a big Indian. Lee ought to get more wives be- 
fore he talked. Thus little good was done by the talk, 
for soon afterwards Colonel Lee was sent with four com- 
panies of his regiment on an expedition against these 
Indians. The white soldiers could not find them, for 
they had slipped away to their hiding places in the wild 
deserts. Lee did not like the Indians very much, and 
he said the wretched creatures gave more trouble than 
they were worth. 

Here is a part of a letter that Colonel Lee wrote his 
wife from Camp Cooper, '^My Fourth of July was 
spent after a march of thirty miles on one of the branches 
of the Brazos, under my blanket, which rested on four 
sticks driven in the ground, as a sunshade. The sun 
was fiery hot, the air like a furnace, and the water salt ; 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 9 



130 



ROBERT E. LEE 



still my love for my country was as great, my faith in 
her future as true, as they would have been under better 
circumstances." 

Soon afterwards a terrible disease broke out among the 
soldiers and other people. Many of them died. Colonel 
Lee wrote home that he himself had read the church 
service over a little boy that had died. 

It was while he was in Texas that he wrote so good a 
letter to his son Custis that you should read it. ''You 
must study," he wrote, '' to be frank with the world — 
never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one. 
Do not appear to others what you are not." In closing 
this letter, Colonel Lee wrote that nearly a hundred 
years before, there was a day that was very dark, almost 
like night. The sun was hidden, the chickens went to 
roost, and animals and people were badly frightened. 
Many believed that the end of the world was near and 
that the Day of Judgment was at hand. In Connecti- 
cut the legislature was in session. The darkness and 
dread were so great that some members proposed that 
they adjourn. But one old legislator, Davenport of 
Stamford, said, "Let Hghts be brought so we may pro- 
ceed with our business. Even though the Day of Judg- 
ment should be at hand, I desire to be found doing my 
duty." Lee said the man's soul was full of heavenly 
quiet and a willingness to do his duty. ''Duty then," 
he wrote Custis, "is the sublimest word in the language. 



THE CAVALRY OFFICER 131 

Do your duty in all things like the old Puritan. You 
cannot do more ; you should never wish to do less. 
Never let me or your mother wear one gray hair for any 
lack of duty on your part." Do you wonder that Custis 
Lee himself became a great and noble man ? 

In the summer of 1857, Albert Sidney Johnston was 
sent away from Texas, and Lee, the next in command, 
was made the commander of the regiment. 

During the fall of 1857, Lee's father-in-law, Mr. Cus- 
tis, died, and Lee went home. Mr. Custis left Arling- 
ton and the rest of the land to his daughter. Colonel 
Lee had always taken delight in thoughts of a farm. It 
was now his duty to see after his wife's estates at Ar- 
lington and the White House, a large place on the Pa- 
munkey River. In this work, he took great pride and 
interest. He had the buildings, roads, and fences re- 
paired and improved. The stock and cattle were better 
fed and cared for. He liked this so well he said he 
longed for the time when he could live on a farm in 
quiet and peace. 

Mr. Custis had directed in his will that at the end of 
five years all his slaves should be set free. Lee was 
chosen by him to see that the provisions of the will were 
carried out. 

After staying with his wife and family as long as he 
could, and settling Mr. Custis's affairs as far as possible. 
Colonel Lee went back to Texas. He was soon busy in 



132 ROBERT E. LEE 

an attempt to capture a noted Mexican brigand whose 
name was Cortinez. This robber and his companions 
would steal across the border into Texas and take the 
ranchmen's horses and drive off their cattle. The rob- 
bers knew the country so well that they could get back 
into Mexico before they could be overtaken. Colonel 
Lee spent several months in trying to capture Cortinez, 
but most of the time was taken up in finding water and 
pasturage for his horses. He would pursue the robbers 
till his horses and men were exhausted. The plains 
were so hot and dry, it was then necessary to hunt grass 
and water. Cortinez could easily manage to refresh 
his men and horses, but by the time Lee could do the 
same thing, Cortinez would be safe in Mexico. 

Colonel Lee spent two years more in chasing Indians 
and robbers, and then he went for another visit to Ar- 
lington. But he did not rest all the time on this visit, 
for he had an important duty to perform, about which 
you shall now hear. 

John Brown was a man who was brought up in Con- 
necticut. He became convinced that slavery was 
wrong, and that it ought to be ended in the United 
States. One of his relatives had been killed in Kansas 
during the disputes over slavery there. This loss deeply 
grieved him and made him more anxious than ever to 
destroy slavery. He finally imagined that the Lord 
had chosen him especially for the work of freeing the 



THE CAVALRY OFFICER 133 

slaves. It is believed that he became somewhat crazy 
on the subject, but perhaps he was only very much in 
earnest in his opinions. He did not know that most 
slaves in the South were happy and loved their masters; 
he thought they were very unhappy and wretched. 

At last he came to think they ought to be freed by any 
means possible. He made up his mind that if no one 
else would help the negroes, he himself would. He 
thought if they were given a little help and encourage- 
ment, the slaves would rise against their masters and 
free themselves. So on Sunday night, October 16, 1859, 
Brown with twenty-one other white men, took posses- 
sion of the armory at Harper's Ferry in Virginia. These 
men now expected that the slaves all over the South 
would rise and join them, and thus the task would soon 
be accomplished. Some of Brown's men went to the 
near-by plantations, and seized horses, wagons, carriages, 
and slaves. The owners of the plantations were cap- 
tured and carried to the engine house of the town as 
prisoners. Brown and his men shut themselves and 
their prisoners in the building and barricaded the 
doors. As the negroes did not join him as he had ex- 
pected. Brown and his men were alone. But the grim 
old Abolitionist would not despair, but determined to 
hold out to the last. 

As you have already seen. Colonel Lee was at home 
at this time. President Buchanan sent him with some 



134 ROBERT E. LEE 

soldiers to arrest Brown. Colonel Lee reached Har- 
per's Ferry soon after Brown had shut himself in the 
engine house. He sent a message to Brown to try to 
show him the folly of his efforts to free the negroes in 
that way, and he urged Brown to surrender without 
giving further trouble. He also promised Brown a fair 
trial by officers of the law. 

But Brown said he would not surrender. So then 
Colonel Lee's men were ordered to batter down the door 
of the engine house. With a heavy beam of timber, they 
went to work. Lee and his men were now fired on by 
Brown's men, but Lee's soldiers soon had the door 
broken open and John Brown and his raiders were 
captured, and turned over to the civil officers. 

Having performed this duty, Lee returned to his 
regiment in Texas. A part of the next summer he spent 
at San Antonio. He liked this place better than he had 
liked the posts in the deserts, as there were more people 
and he had the chance to enjoy a little social life. The 
Episcopalians were trying to build a church for them- 
selves in the town, and Colonel Lee, who was of the 
Episcopal faith, was glad to give them all the help he 
could. 

At this time when a separation of the states was 
threatening, he was very much concerned because of the 
dark trouble that was gathering over the country. In 
1 86 1, after Texas had seceded from the Union, the 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 135 

United States War Department ordered Colonel Lee 
to report to General Scott at Washington. He at once 
left Texas and reached the capital the last of Febru- 
ary. He went to Arlington to rest for a few days with 
his family and to await results. 



CHAPTER VIH 

THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 

On the 17th of April, 1861, Virginia seceded from the 
Union. The next day Colonel Lee had a long talk 
with General Scott, and it is said that Scott did all he 
could to keep Lee in the United States army, because 
he had always thought Lee the most useful man in the 
service. Scott once said, ^'It would be better for every 
officer in the army, including myself, to die than 
Robert Lee," and he had already declared his intention 
of recommending Lee as commander in chief of the 
American army, when he himself should retire. 

It is also said that an officer was sent by President 
Lincoln to offer Lee the command of the United States 
army. Lee told the officer that he himself was opposed 
to secession and war if they possibly could be avoided. 
He said that above all things he wished to preserve the 
Union, and that, if he owned all the four million slaves 
in the South, he would give them up to save the Union, 



136 ROBERT E. LEE 

but he could not draw his sword on Virginia, his native 
State. He declared that he could take no part in an 
invasion of the Southern States. 

Therefore, as Virginia had now left the Union, there 
was nothing for Lee to do but to resign his place in the 
army. This he did April 20. It cost him a great 
struggle, for he dearly loved the Union, and had spent 
the greater part of his life, and had exerted all the 
ability he had, in its service. In his letter to General 
Scott, explaining his action, Lee said Scott had always 
been kind to him, and Scott's name and fame would 
always be dear to Lee. ^'Save in defense of my native 
state," he wrote, ''I never desire again to draw my 
sword." Lee could no longer act as Scott wished, but he 
was grateful to him. About this time, Mrs. Lee wrote 
to a friend, ''My husband has wept tears of blood over 
this terrible war, but he must, as a man and a Virginian, 
share the destiny of his State." 

After resigning. Colonel Lee wrote his brother, "I am 
now a private citizen and have no other ambition than 
to remain at home." To his sister he wrote, "I recog- 
nize no necessity for this state of things, and would have 
forborne and pleaded to the end for redress of grievances, 
real or supposed, yet in my own person I had to meet the 
question whether I should take part against my native 
State. With all my devotion to the Union — I have 
not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 137 

against my relatives, my children, my home. I have, 
therefore, resigned." 

Besides the pain of separating from the Union, Lee's 
resignation cost him his fortune, including his beauti- 
ful and beloved Arlington. But Lee was always duti- 
ful and honorable. After he had fought through the 
four long bitter years of the war, after he had lost his 
property and injured his health, he once said that he had 
acted at first in the only way that was free from dishonor. 
"If all were to do over again," he added, ''I would act 
in precisely the same manner." 

But however sure Lee was as to his own course, he 
was unwilling to advise Custis, who was also in the 
United States army when Virginia seceded. "Tell 
Custis," he wrote, "he must consult his own judgment, 
reason, and conscience as to the course he may take. 
I do not wish him to be guided by my wishes or example. 
If I have done wrong, let him do better." However, 
Custis did follow his noble father's example and joined 
the Confederate army. Robert Edward, Jr., was a pri- 
vate in the ranks until near the close of the war when he 
was promoted for bravery. Lee's other son, William 
Henry Fitzhugh, also served the Confederacy. 

Lee was not to be permitted to remain at home as he 
had hoped. On April 23 , three days after his resignation 
from the United States army, the Virginia Convention 
placed him in command of the miHtary forces of that 



138 ROBERT E. LEE 

state, as major general. On the next day, Major 
General Lee was introduced to the convention at Rich- 
mond. He came into the halls, a grand and noble 
man. His fifty-four years had not bent his tall and 
handsome figure. His manner was grave and dignified. 
^'A great modesty tempered all his words and all his 
actions," and lent force to the few quiet words in which 
he thanked them for the honor bestowed on him. He 
said he would have much preferred it if they had chosen 
an abler man. He accepted, saying he would do his 
best, "trusting in an Almighty God, an approving con- 
science, and the aid of my fellow-citizens. '^ 

Major General Lee at once began to organize, equip, 
and drill the thousands of men that now came pouring 
into Richmond. He soon made them into soldiers and 
formed an army. He was extremely busy, but he 
found time to write letters to his wife, telling her how 
best to arrange everything for leaving their beloved 
Arlington. He gave her directions about the pictures, 
plate, and furniture in the house, about the horses, 
servants, and the farm, and about the family. Lee was 
very glad when his wife had everything ready so she and 
the girls could leave and find another home more safe. 

On May 25, all the Virginia troops were turned over 
to the Confederate States government. Lee was now 
no longer a major general. Some people thought he 
would not be so zealous in the cause as he had been 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 139 

while a major general. But Lee simply said, ''I am 
willing to serve anywhere I can be useful." It is known 
that at one time he thought of serving as a private 
under the command of one of his sons. But he soon 
became a brigadier general, being one of the five ap- 
pointed by the Confederate Congress. 

For a time Lee was still kept busy making soldiers of 
the men that came to Richmond to join the Confederate 
armies. By the end of May, he had organized and sent 
to the field more than thirty thousand men. Also, for 
two or three months, he was the military adviser of 
President Davis. Because of Lee's great skill as an engi- 
neer, his experience in the Mexican War, and his knowl- 
edge of the country and the leaders on the Federal side, 
Davis had the greatest confidence in Lee's judgment. 
Their friendship and esteem for each other had begun 
when they were both cadets at West Point. After 
the war, when Lee's opinion of Davis's management of 
the war as President of the Confederacy was once asked, 
he replied, ''You can always say few people could have 
done better than Mr. Davis. I know of none that could 
have done as well." It was once said that, ''No two 
leaders ever leaned each on the other in such beautiful 
trust and absolute confidence. Hand in hand, heart to 
heart, they moved to the front of the dire struggle 
of their people for independence — a noble pair of 
brothers." Their friendship was never broken. 



I40 ROBERT E. LEE 

Lee himself was anxious to be where he could take a 
more active part in the war, and at last he was sent to 
the western part of Virginia to take charge of operations 
there. He wrote his wife a letter soon after he reached 
this region, and as w^as usual with him when in a new 
place, he did not fail to wTite of the country. He spoke 
of the grass-grown hills and the beautiful scenery. 

However, Lee could accomplish but little in West 
Virginia, because of the mountainous country, the lack 
of supplies, and the great numbers of the Federals. 
Besides, the people of that section were for the Union, 
and they helped McClellan, the Federal commander, 
in many ways, furnishing him guides and bringing him 
information of every move of Lee's forces. Then, too, 
there were heavy rains, and a great deal of sickness in 
Lee's small army, so that he could not make an attack 
as he had planned. In addition to all these things, one 
of Lee's orders was disobeyed at a time when it brought 
defeat. But in his report to the Confederate govern- 
ment, he was too generous to lay the blame on any 
one else. At another time, he was blamed for not mak- 
ing an attack on the Federals in West Virginia, but as 
he knew it would not be best at that time, he paid no 
attention to the complaint, and only said, ''I could not 
afford to sacrifice five or six hundred of my people to 
silence public clamor." 

He returned to Richmond, but in November, 1861, 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 141 

he was sent to build a line of forts along the coast of 
South Carolina and Georgia to ward off attacks from 
the sea. Lee was still anxious to be in the field where the 
fighting was going on, yet he went to this engineering 
work without a complaint. He did it so well that it was 
not until General Sherman made a flank march from the 
South, through Georgia and South Carolina, that these 
posts fell into Federal hands. 

The winter of 1861 and 1862 now came on, and the 
fighting ceased. But meanwhile the leaders on both 
sides were busy making plans and getting ready. Gen- 
eral Lee thought it would be best for the armies of the 
South to stand ready to repel an invasion, and he so 
advised. This plan was adopted by the Confederate 
government. On the other hand, the Federal govern- 
ment planned to invade the South and capture Rich- 
mond, its capital. In this way they hoped to cut the 
Confederacy in two and destroy it. As you will see, a 
great part of the history of the Civil War and Lee's part 
in it gathers about the attempts of the Federals to cap- 
ture Richmond, and the efforts of the Confederates to 
hold it. 

So now in the spring of 1862, General McClellan came 
with a large Federal army to take the Confederate capi- 
tal. General Joseph E. Johnston met him to drive 
him back, and in one of the battles fought, Johnston 
was so badly wounded that he was disabled for many 



142 ROBERT E. LEE 

weeks. General Lee was now placed in command of 
the army to defend Richmond, and here he remained 
tin the close of the struggle. 

General Lee at once began to collect as large an army 
as he could. He sent for General Thomas J. Jackson 
to help him in keeping back McClellan. J. E. B. 
Stuart, a cavalry commander, was another of Lee's 
generals. By the middle of June, Lee had collected 
sixty-five thousand men that composed what was known 
as the Army of Northern Virginia. General McClel- 
lan's force, called the Army of the Potomac, was one 
hundred and fifteen thousand strong. 

McClellan's army was so near Richmond that people 
on the housetops in the city could see the camp fires and 
hear the boom of the cannon. Lee drew his lines about 
the city and threw up earthworks. He wished to know 
exactly what McClellan's army was doing, so General 
Stuart, who was afterwards called ''Lee's eyes and ears," 
led his brave horsemen quite around the Northern army 
and found out what Lee wished to know. At last, on 
the 25th of June, a battle between the two armies was 
begun that lasted for seven days. It was called the 
"Seven Days' Battle." At its close, McClellan was 
compelled to retreat to the James River, and Lee had 
saved Richmond the first time, as he was to save it time 
and again later. 

General John Pope was now placed in command of the 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 143 

Federal army. Lee and Jackson met him in August, 
and fought the Second Battle of Manassas. Lee had 
boldly sent Stonewall Jackson fifty-six miles around to 
get in the rear of Pope, while he himself pressed Pope 
to the northward from the front. Jackson's men could 
go from place to place so swiftly that they w^ere called 
''foot cavalry." On this march, they hardly stopped 
to rest at all, and they ate apples, green corn, and any- 
thing else they could get, as they hurried along. By the 
end of the second day after he set out, Jackson had led 
his twenty thousand men in between General Pope and 
Washington City. He then refreshed his troops with a 
large quantity of food that he had captured at Manassas 
Junction. Lee and Jackson had Pope's army between 
them, and it was now that the Second Battle of Man- 
assas was fought. Both armies fought bravely, but 
Lee was the victor and Pope was forced to lead his 
army from Virginia. 

As there were no longer any Federal troops in Virginia 
to threaten Richmond, Lee made up his mind to lead 
his army into Maryland. On this march into Maryland, 
Lee gave his soldiers strict orders not to take anything 
from the people without paying for it. But some of 
the hungry men did not obey this order. Lee himself 
caught a soldier with a squealing pig in his arms. The 
man was going to have a good dinner of pork. Lee 
arrested him, and as he was one of Jackson's soldiers. 



144 ROBERT E. LEE 

Lee sent him to that general with orders that he be shot 
at once for disobedience. But Jackson thought the army 
was already too small, and so after holding the soldier 
as a prisoner for a time, he released him and afterwards 
pardoned him for bravery at the battle of Sharpsburg. 

McClellan had again been put in command of the 
army of the Potomac and ordered to check General Lee. 
One of Lee's marching orders was used by someone to 
wrap a handful of cigars. This Httle bundle was lost. 
A Federal soldier found it and carried it to McClellan, 
who learned from it that General Lee had divided his 
army into two parts. McClellan decided that he 
would get in between these two divisions of Lee's army 
and crush them out one at a time. However, he was 
checked in this by one of Lee's generals, D. H. Hill, at 
Boonesboro. It was at about this time that Jackson 
captured a large quantity of arms and provisions at 
Harper's Ferry, and then with his ''foot cavalry" joined 
Lee in time for the next great fight. 

On the 17th of September, McClellan, with a large 
fresh army, opened an attack on Lee at Sharpsburg, 
where a most bloody battle was fought. Lee had less 
than half as many men as McClellan. But the Con- 
federates stood their ground. All day long the battle 
raged fiercely to and fro along the lines. 

During the fighting, Jackson sent to Lee for orders. 
As Lee had the utmost confidence in General Jackson's 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 145 

ability, he sent him back this message, '' Go, tell General 
Jackson that he knows as well what to do as I." This 
was a very great compliment. On the other hand, 
Jackson once said, ''Lee is a phenomenon. He is the 
only man I could follow bhndfold." 

General Lee's son, Robert, was in this battle. The 
battery of big guns that Robert helped to manage made 
a fierce charge and was driven back. The battery was 
badly torn up and almost disabled but Lee ordered it 
back into action. Robert passed near his father and 
asked, "General, are you going to send us in again?" 
'' Yes, my son," Lee replied with a smile. '' You all must 
do what you can to drive these people back." Robert 
went in as he was ordered and came out safe and sound. 

The soldiers of both armies fought bravely, and there 
were many heroic deeds that day, but at nightfall, 
neither side had won the victory, and both armies 
camped on the field. Lee called his generals to a coun- 
cil of war. Some of them urged him to recross the Po- 
tomac at once and retreat into Virginia. Lee listened 
to them patiently, but as he did not think it best to fall 
back yet, he would not agree with them. When they 
continued pressing him to retreat, he at last raised him- 
self in his stirrups and said, "Gentlemen, we will not 
cross the Potomac to-night. If McClellan wants to 
fight in the morning, I will give him battle again." 
True to his word he waited all that night and the next 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — lO 



146 ROBERT E. LEE 

day for an attack, but as it did not come and as McClel- 
lan was largely reenforced, Lee led his army back into 
Virginia, it is said, without the loss of a gun or a wagon. 
He now recruited his army and gave many of his soldiers 
new guns and ammunition that Jackson had taken at 
Harper's Ferry. 

Soon after the battle of Sharpsburg, Lee heard that 
his daughter Anna was dead. His grief was very great, 
for she had been his dearest child. But he wrote thus 
in a letter to Mrs. Lee, ^' God in this as in all things has 
mingled mercy with the blow by selecting the one best 
prepared to go. May you join me in saying. His will 
be done !" 

The Federal army was now put under the command of 
General Burnside. He brought the army back to Vir- 
ginia and made an attempt to reach the Southern capi- 
tal by way of Fredericksburg, a town north of Rich- 
mond, on the Rappahannock River. Burnside posted 
his men on Stafford Heights and on a large plain. Lee 
placed his men on Marye's Heights, which elevated 
them above Burnside's army. 

The battle began at daylight on December 13. Burn- 
side's blue lines charged up Marye's Heights six times, 
but they had Httle chance, as Lee's men poured their 
fire on them from above so fiercely that they could not 
advance. There were three hundred cannons booming 
at once, and the noise was fearful. Finding he could not 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1861-1862) 147 

take these heights, Burnside withdrew his men across 
the Rappahannock, leaving Lee victor again. 

The two armies now went into winter quarters, facing 
each other on the opposite sides of the river. Here they 
stayed until the spring of 1863. An English officer, who 
went to visit Lee, wrote this description of Lee's head- 
quarters during this winter, ''Lee's headquarters, I 
found, were only seven or eight pole-tents, with their 
backs to a stake fence, while a little stream of good 
water flowed close by. In front of the tents were three 
wagons, and a number of horses roamed over the fields. 
No guards were seen near, and no crowd of aides 
swarmed about. A large farmhouse stood close by, 
which would have made a good home for the general, 
but Lee does not let his men rob or disturb the people, 
and likes to set them a good example." This camp was 
in the edge of an old pine field, and it was here that 
Lee spent the winter, planning the war for the next 
year and getting ready. 

During this winter, some friend gave Lee several 
chickens. Among them was a fine, large hen. She 
soon had made herself a nest in the general's tent, where 
she laid an egg before Bryan, Lee's Irish cook, had the 
chance to take her head off. So Bryan saved her, and 
each day Lee would leave the door of his tent open for 
her. This hen roosted and rode on one of the wagons 
and went with the army for about three years. She 



148 ROBERT E. LEE 

saw several battles. But at last when food began to be 
very scarce, and when Lee was to have company, one 
day Bryan served her up in grand style. Lee thought 
the fowl was fine at dinner, but he did not suspect that 
he was eating his pet hen. 

The time had at last come to free Mr. Custis's slaves, 
as he had directed in his will. Lee wrote out papers, 
setting them all free. He wrote that he hoped they 
would all be prosperous and happy. He had already 
several years before freed his own slaves. 

General Lee had won so many victories and managed 
so well that the Southern people began to have great 
faith in him. His soldiers were ''shoeless, hatless, 
ragged, and starving," but they loved and trusted 
''Mars Robert," as they now called him. "Mars 
Robert says so," had come to be their battle cry. 



CHAPTER IX 

THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1863) 

One of the chief objects of the Federal government 
continued to be the capture of Richmond. If that could 
be done, it was still thought that the Confederate gov- 
ernment would then be easily destroyed ; so renewed 
efforts were going to be made to take the Southern 
capital. The Federal army was increased to one hun- 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1863) 149 

dred and thirty- two thousand men. General Joe 
Hooker was put in command. He was so good a fighter 
that he was sometimes called "Fighting Joe." He was 
the fourth general that had been sent to conquer Lee. 
He strengthened and improved his army until he thought 
he had the best one in the world. Hooker said he was 
sure he should soon whip Lee or have him on the run. 

Lee knew his task during this year would be to keep 
the Federal army away from Richmond. He did all 
he could to increase and improve his forces, and was 
able to raise his number to about fifty-three thousand 
men, which was a good many less than half of Hooker's 
army. There was not enough food and clothes for his 
men, and this made it very hard for them. Their bread, 
made of flour and water, was called "hard-tack." 
Most of Lee's men had not been used to such rough fare 
at home, and some of them would complain. General 
Lee himself ate just what the men ate and was always 
cheerful. When he heard some one complain of the 
tough bread, he said, "You ought not to mind that ; it 
will last longer." And so in the face of all these diffi- 
culties, Lee continued to make preparations for the war. 
He watched Hooker during the spring and found out 
his plans. 

The last of April, General Hooker sent a part of his 
army to attack Lee at Fredericksburg. He did this to 
deceive Lee and make him think this was the main 



ISO 



ROBERT E. LEE 



attack, while he was leading the greater part of his army 
around to attack Lee in the rear. He meant to get 
Lee's army hemmed in on both sides and then destroy 
it completely. 

But as Lee knew Hooker's plans pretty well, he was 
not so easy to fool. Hooker led the main division of his 
army to Chancellorsville, from which place he meant to 
attack Lee's rear. But Lee left a part of his army at 
Fredericksburg to meet the attack there, while he sent 
another division under Stonewall Jackson to attack 
Hooker's rear. Lee was doing for Hooker just what 
Hooker was planning to do for Lee. 

Chancellorsville was a plantation settlement in the 
midst of a thick forest growth of trees, bushes, and vines, 
that was called "the Wilderness." It was in Hooker's 
camps here that Jackson fell upon his army so suddenly. 
Jackson's troops rushed upon Hooker's men like a 
cyclone and swept them from their breastworks. The 
fighting was kept up till May 4. By the morning of 
May 3, Lee had driven the greater part of the Federals 
to intrenchments near the Rappahannock River. His 
men were very weary, but he was preparing to attack 
them here in their works, when he heard that another 
division of Federals had taken Fredericksburg. So he 
went to help General Early who was defending this 
town. Together Lee and Early forced the Federals 
across the river to the north. Lee now went back to 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1863) 151 

attack Hooker, but found that Fighting Joe had led his 
men across to the north side of the river the night before. 
Thus this was another great victory for General Lee. 

During this battle, through a mistake, Stonewall 
Jackson was shot by his own men. Two bullets had 
pierced his left arm, and it had to be cut off. He lived 
until May 10. His death was a great grief to Lee, for 
the two commanders loved and trusted each other very 
much. While Jackson lay suffering, he heard that 
Chancellorsville was a victory for the Southern army. 
He sent to congratulate Lee. General Lee knew how 
much of the battle had been planned and fought by 
Jackson, so he sent this message, "Say to General 
Jackson that the victory is his." Once it was reported 
that Jackson was better. Then Lee playfully sent him 
word, "You are better off than I am, for while you 
have only lost your left, I have lost my right arm." 
By this Lee meant that Jackson was as great help to 
him as his own right arm. When Jackson died, Lee 
said any victory was a dear one that deprived the 
army of Jackson. 

Once more, as there was no Federal army in Virginia, 
Lee thought the best way to keep one out would be to 
lead his own army into the North again. Besides, 
clothes and provisions were now very hard to obtain 
at the South. By leading his army into the North, Lee 
hoped to secure supplies for his men. On the march, 



152 ROBERT E. LEE 

the supplies needed were taken in an orderly way by the 
army quartermaster and commissaries. In this way, 
food, clothes, horses, and whatever else was necessary 
were taken. Whenever asked, receipts were given for 
what was taken, and the Federal government, in many 
cases, paid Pennsylvania citizens these claims after the 
war. Lee ordered all the officers and soldiers not to do 
any needless injury against private property, saying 
to them, ''It must be remembered that we make war 
only on armed men, and not on women and children and 
private property." It is said that these orders were 
very carefully obeyed. An English officer who was 
along later wrote, "I saw no straggling into the houses, 
nor were any of the inhabitants disturbed or annoyed 
by the soldiers." 

To make this march into Pennsylvania, Lee separated 
his army into three divisions. At Washington, it was 
reported to President Lincoln that the head of Lee's 
army was at Martinsburg and the rear of it between 
Fredericksburg and Chancellor sville, stretched out like 
some long, winding dragon. Lincoln wrote Hooker that 
if it was stretched out in that manner, ''The animal 
must be slim somewhere — could you not break him ? " 
But Hooker soon gave up the command of the army, 
and it was left to General George G. Meade, his suc- 
cessor, to fight the "animal" at Gettysburg. 

General Meade had orders to meet and fight Lee, but 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1863) 153 

to manage always to keep his army between Lee and 
Washington City, which it was thought Lee meant to 
attack. 

Neither commander intended to have a battle at 
Gettysburg, but quite by accident, on July i, one divi- 
sion of Lee's army met the Federal forces at this place. 
General Lee soon came up and ordered that the strong 
position of the Federals on Cemetery Hill be taken. 
But this was not done, and the fighting ended till next 
day. 

General Lee ordered an attack to be made on the 
Federals in the early morning of the second of July. But 
for some reason it was not made till four o'clock in the 
afternoon. By that time. General Meade had brought 
up all his forces, and though Lee's men fought bravely 
and gained some ground, they were not able to drive the 
Federals from their position. When night put an end 
to the second day's battle, the Union army still held its 
own. 

Lee, still hoping the victory might be won by an early 
morning attack, gave orders that an advance be made on 
Meade's works at daybreak of the third. But again his 
orders were not obeyed. The attack for the day was not 
begun until one o'clock in the afternoon. Then a most 
furious artillery battle commenced. It lasted for about 
an hour, when the powder of the Confederates was 
nearly gone. 



154 ROBERT E. LEE 

During this dreadful battle, General Lee was one 
of the coolest and calmest of men. He saw an officer 
whipping his horse, which had become badly frightened 
at the booming and screeching of shot and shell. ^ ' D on' t 
whip him. Captain," Lee said, ''don't whip him. I've 
got just such a foolish horse myself, and whipping does 
no good." 

Whenever he saw badly wounded men, he had every- 
thing possible done for their comfort, but to the slightly 
wounded, he would say, "Come, bind up your wound 
and take a musket, my friend." He never forgot to add 
"my friend." His face was calm and showed no sign 
of worry and care. He was trying to encourage every 
soldier, saying cheerfully, ''All this will come out right 
in the end ; we will talk it over afterwards ; but, mean- 
while, all good men must rally. ' ' Many of the wounded, 
as they were carried to the rear, took off their hats and 
cheered him. 

Towards the end of the day, there came the famous 
"Pickett's Charge." General Pickett, with his own 
men and the divisions of Pettigrew and Pender, ad- 
vanced to storm the breastworks of the Federals on 
Cemetery Ridge. When he had nearly reached the blue 
lines, the Union artillery poured such a fire upon the 
Confederate ranks that they were mowed away by 
hundreds. For want of powder, Lee's guns could not 
reply. But still the Confederates moved forward. As 




LEE OX TRAVELER 



155 



156 ROBERT E. LEE 

one man fell, another stepped into his place, and thus 
the ranks were closed. On and on they went until a 
part of the Federal lines was seized. Lee had com- 
manded that help be brought to Pickett, but again 
some one failed to obey orders, and so the brave fellows 
were forced to fall back, leaving Gettysburg a Federal 
victory. 

As Pickett returned from the charge, Lee met him and 
said, ''It's all my fault, and you must help me out of it 
the best you can." Lee knew his orders had not been 
obeyed, but he was too kind and considerate of the 
feelings of his officers to lay the blame on any of them. 
In this fight he sorely missed his ''right arm," and once 
said, "Had I had Jackson at Gettysburg, I should, so far 
as man can judge, have won that battle." 

Lee camped on the field for the night. To one of his 
officers he said, "This has been a sad day for us. Colonel, 
a sad day, but we can't expect always to gain victories." 
He waited the next day for Meade to attack him, and 
then he started on his march back into Virginia. Heavy 
rains had now set in, and so, when the army reached the 
Potomac, the water was too high to be crossed easily. 
So General Lee sent his wounded across in boats. He 
then got ready to fight Meade, who was following him. 
But the Union general did not come up for a battle, and 
Lee's army was soon safe in Virginia again. 

Lee now offered to President Davis to give up his com- 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1863) 157 

mand in the army. He said that he was getting old and 
that he was not strong. He said he thought a younger 
and abler man should be appointed to be at the head of 
the army. Lee declared he could not carry out what he 
himself wished, and much less could he do what others 
expected of him. In his reply, Davis refused to relieve 
Lee of his command, asking, ''Where am I to find a 
stronger and abler man ?" Davis said it would be im- 
possible to find a man more fit to command than Lee 
and one who would have more of the confidence of the 
people. He said further that the deeds of Lee and his 
army would be the subject of history and the objects 
of the world's admiration for ages to come. Lee there- 
fore kept the command. From this may be seen how 
these two men trusted and honored each other. 

It was harder now than ever to get food and clothes 
for the army. Mrs. Lee and her three daughters spent 
most of their time knitting socks for the soldiers. In 
October of this year. General Lee wrote his wife, "I am 
glad you have some socks for the army. Send them to 
me. Tell the girls to send all they can. I wish they 
could make some shoes. We have thousands of bare- 
footed men." Is it any wonder the soldiers loved 
Lee and called him ''Mars Robert" and "Uncle 
Robert"? 

About this time, the city of Richmond gave Lee a 
house. In a kind manner, he refused it, and begged 



158 ROBERT E. LEE 

that what money the city could spare be used in help- 
ing the families of his poor and wounded soldiers. 
The rest of the year passed with very little fighting. 

CHAPTER X 

THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 

When the campaign of 1864 began, it was still Lee's 
duty to defend Richmond. This had become a very 
difficult task, for Lee had now not more than sixty-two 
thousand men in all, and it was impossible to get food 
and clothes for even these. 

Another man now came to conquer Lee. This was 
General U. S. Grant, who had one hundred and twenty- 
five thousand men, plenty of food and clothes for them, 
and a wagon train sixty-five miles long. 

With the beginning of spring. Grant led his hosts into 
Virginia. Time and again he tried to march around 
Lee's army, or did his best to beat it out of the way, in 
order to get to Richmond. In making these efforts, the 
armies often met, and at such times many fierce battles 
were fought. 

On May 4, Grant tried to get past Lee. While the 
Federals knew little of the country, Lee was acquainted 
with nearly every foot of it. Grant did not have to 
hunt Lee, for Lee went to meet him. Both armies 
plunged into the Wilderness, and the next day they 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 159 

met in its dense growth of bushes, trees, and vines. 
The men could scarcely see each other, even a few yards 
away. It was a bad place for a battle, and the big guns 
and cavalry could hardly be used at all. 

Lee's army was soon attacked by the Federals, who 
came on in full force. Just at this time. General Long- 
street came up with his men to help Lee drive them 
back. Lee saw that some of the first regiments of 
Longstreet's divisions were Texas soldiers. ''Hurrah 
for Texas ! Hurrah for Texas ! " he shouted, and at once 
rode at the head of their column and gave the command, 
''Charge." But they would not go forward a step, for 
they loved Lee and feared that he might be hurt in a 
charge. So they began to call out, "Lee to the rear ! 
Lee to the rear ! General, if you do not go back, we 
will not go forward." At last a gray-haired old sergeant 
laid hold of Lee's bridle rein and led him away out of 
danger. These brave soldiers then charged and checked 
the advance of the Union men. 

This was probably one of the most dreadful battles of 
the whole war. It raged for two days, and then the 
thick tangled woods took fire and began to burn. As 
the men still lay wherever they had fallen in the fight, 
hundreds of them were burned. Despite all, Lee 
pressed his army forward and checked Grant. Both 
armies camped on the field for the night, and then lay 
watching each other all the next day. 



i6o ROBERT E. LEE 

When the night of the 7th came, Grant marched away 
to Spottsylvania Courthouse, meaning to steal around 
and past Lee's Hues to Richmond. But Lee found out 
this plan, and so he too began a march for the same 
place. When Grant's men reached the courthouse next 
morning, Lee's men were there behind breastworks, 
waiting for them. Thus Lee had saved Richmond once 
more. 

Then there was fighting between the two armies nearly 
all the time for about twelve days. Grant was doing 
his best to break through Lee's lines, At one place 
Lee's breastworks extended outward in a point. In one 
of Grant's attacks, this point was taken by the Federals 
after a very hard fight. So many men were killed here 
that it was called the ''Bloody Angle." During the 
fight musket balls flew so thick that they cut down stout 
oak trees. Though Grant had taken the Bloody Angle, 
he could not break through Lee's lines in any other place. 

In this battle, Lee again rode to the front to lead a 
charge. But General John B. Gordon told Lee the 
men were Virginians and Georgians, who had never 
failed, and it would not be necessary for Lee so to expose 
himself. These soldiers, like the others we have already 
heard about, agreed to go forward if Lee would go to 
the rear. This Lee did and the men nobly kept their 
promise. General Lee often went into dangerous places, 
and often wished to lead charges. But his men and 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 161 

officers would never allow him to do so if they could pre- 
vent it. They said the place of danger was no place for 
him. He was told this so often that at last he said, "I 
wish I knew where my place is on the battlefield. Wher- 
ever I go, some one tells me it is not the place for me." 

On the night of May 20, Grant again tried to steal 
past Lee's lines to Richmond. But again Lee was too 
quick for him, and hurried his own men into place so 
rapidly that Grant was faced and checked. However, a 
great deal of hard fighting followed. Grant's army in 
lines six miles long attacked Lee's ranks, but did not 
succeed in breaking through them, for Lee's men fought 
so fiercely that Grant lost twelve thousand of his sol- 
diers in less than a half hour, and his men finally refused 
to attack the Confederates at all. This is called the 
Second Battle of Cold Harbor. 

Grant then moved his army around to the south of 
Richmond, and attempted to capture Petersburg, hop- 
ing thus to cut Richmond off from the South as well 
as to take the capital itself. This caused Lee now to 
have to defend Petersburg and Richmond with lines 
only thirty-five miles long, against Grant who had an 
army more than twice as large as his own. Lee's men 
were now pretty hungry most of the time, as they got 
only one quarter of a pound of meat and one pound of 
flour each day. Lee with his men, hungry and ill-clad 
as they were, kept Grant from taking Petersburg, but 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — 1 1 



i62 ROBERT E. LEE 

in spite of all, one of the railroads leading into Rich- 
mond from the South was taken. Lee spent a great 
part of the rest of this year in several unsuccessful 
attempts to retake this railroad. Besides this he had 
to meet one attack after another from Grant's hosts. 

Finally the Confederate army went into winter quar- 
ters in the trenches around Richmond and Petersburg. 
Lee often went into the trenches himself to see how his 
men were faring. 

One cold morning during this winter, on the train from 
Richmond to Petersburg, a young soldier whose arm 
was in a sling, was seen trying to put on his overcoat. 
His efforts seemed very painful, and he was after all 
about to fail. Then one of the officers that happened 
to be on the train rose from his seat and went to help.the 
young man. Tenderly and carefully he drew the coat 
over the wounded arm, and then with a few kind words, 
this officer went quietly back to his seat. The officer 
was dressed in a plain suit of gray and wore no other 
sign of rank than three gilt stars on his collar, but he 
was none other than General Lee. 

Here is another story that is told of Lee's kindness 
and tenderness of heart. During the summer of 1864, 
while he was defending Richmond, Lee and some of his 
men were standing in front of a house. This fact 
drew upon them a heavy fire from the Federals. Lee 
said to those with him, ''Men, you had better go into 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 163 

the back yard ; they are firing up here and you might 
get hurt." The men unwilHngly obeyed, and looking 
back, they saw the general walk across the yard and pick 
up something and place it in a tree above his head. 
They looked carefully and found that the object for 
which he had risked his life was a young bird that had 
fallen from its nest. 

During this winter, Lee was one day riding with his 
staff along the lines, when he saw a minister giving away 
religious tracts to the men in the trenches. He was 
reminded by this that he had a dozen new prayer books 
that he could give to some of the men. Some time 
before this, Lee had told a friend in Richmond that nc 
had bought himself a new prayer book and was going to 
give his old one to some soldier. The friend thought he 
would like to own the prayer book that Lee had carried 
ever since the Mexican War, so he offered to give Lee 
twelve new ones for the old one. Lee made this trade, 
and thus he now had a dozen prayer books to give to the 
soldiers. The minister said he would be glad to have 
them for the men. On the flyleaf of each book, Lee 
wrote ^Tresented by R. E. Lee." You may be sure 
these books were much prized by those who received 
them. 

As the spring of 1865 came on, Lee began to feel that 
with his small force, he could not much longer hold 
Richmond and Petersburg against the immense army 




LEE AND THE BIRD 
164 



THE CONFEDERzVTE GENERAL (1864-1865) 165 

of the Federals. General Grant had one hundred and 
twenty thousand well-armed, well-fed, well-clad soldiers. 
Lee had only about thirty-five thousand men in rags and 
tatters with almost nothing to eat. There was little 
chance to get food and clothes for Lee's army, and less 
hope that more men would join it, for there were no 
more men in the South to enter the army. 

In this state of affairs, General Lee made up his mind 
that the only hope of keeping up the struggle with 
success would be to give up Richmond, and to lead his 
army to North Carolina, where he could unite it 
with that of General Joseph E. Johnston. There was 
a road leading out from Richmond which was the most 
direct route to North Carolina. This Lee wished to 
follow while making the retreat he now planned. Gen- 
eral Grant must have known what Lee intended to 
do, for he had this road strongly guarded by General 
Sheridan. Lee sent General Fitz Lee's cavalry and 
Pickett's division of infantry to drive Sheridan back. 
But reenforcements came to Sheridan, and the next 
day at Five Forks, he attacked the Confederates and 
forced them away. This was one of the things the 
Federals had been trying to do all the time, for at last 
by these movements a Federal army had succeeded 
in getting in Lee's rear. 

On the night of x\pril 2, Lee led his remnant of an army 
away from Petersburg, thus, after nearly four years. 



1 66 ROBERT E. LEE 

giving up Richmond. He marched toward Amelia 
Courthouse, where he had ordered provisions to be 
sent for his army. By mistake the provisions were sent 
to Richmond. In this way it happened that when Lee 
reached AmeKa, his men were entirely without food. 
Lee was therefore now forced to spend a day in collect- 
ing supplies from the country about, and this delay gave 
Grant time to draw his men still closer about Lee. 
However, the march was taken up again the next day. 
As there now came on very heavy rains, the roads were 
almost impassable and the streams were swollen. The 
wagon train ahead was dragging itself but slowly, while 
the troops behind were compelled now and then to halt 
to beat off Grant's men. The main body of the army 
pressed forward with Lee, but still a great many of the 
men were captured. The Confederates had very little 
to eat, in fact almost nothing but parched corn, which 
they ate as they trudged along through the rain and 
mud. Many sank by the roadside, weary and faint 
with hunger, yet no murmur of complaint was heard. 

Lee knew that his sick wife and his daughters at 
Richmond were in the midst of- danger, and were per- 
haps being forced to escape from a ruined and troubled 
city. But under all these difficulties and annoyances 
his courage seemed to rise greater and nobler than 
ever. Wherever he came, his presence filled the weary, 
hungry men with renewed energy to keep up the toil- 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 167 

some march. During these trying scenes, his counte- 
nance wore its usual calm, grave expression. Those 
who watched his face to catch a gUmpse of what was 
passing in his mind could gather from it no trace of his 
inner feelings. 

On this march, as all through the war. General Lee 
usually slept in his tent or in his wagon. He knew a 
great many people along the routes all over Virginia, 
but he feared if he stopped to stay over night with them, 
they would take the trouble to make extra preparations 
for him. 

As many of his officers now thought it would be 
impossible for the army to escape, they made up their 
minds that it would be best to surrender it to General 
Grant. They thought they would try to free General 
Lee from the surrendering and take the blame upon 
themselves, and thus they would soften the pangs of 
defeat for him. So one of these officers suggested to 
Lee that they begin to make plans for surrender. Lee 
replied, "We have too many bold men to think of laying 
down our arms." On April 7, Grant himself sent a 
message to General Lee, proposing a surrender. Lee 
replied that he thought the emergency had not yet 
arisen. It is said that Lee in thus refusing to surrender 
was really trusting to a bold front to secure better terms 
of surrender. 

When Lee reached the neighborhood of Appomattox 



1 68 ROBERT E. LEE 

Courthouse, he found that the Federals were in front 
of him and that they had already taken the provisions 
meant for his own army. By the 9th of April, there were 
forty thousand Federals in front and twenty-five thou- 
sand close behind Lee's ten thousand men. The case 
seemed almost hopeless, but Lee gave the command, and 
Gordon and Fitzhugh Lee led a last attack, driving back 
the Federal advance. But the heavy columns behind 
checked the further progress of the Confederates. 

Some one now urged that the remnant of the army 
of Northern Virginia be used for guerrilla warfare. Lee 
replied, ''No, that will not do. We have fought this 
fight as long and as well as we knew how. We have 
been defeated. For us as a Christian people, there is 
but one course to pursue. We must accept the situa- 
tion. These men must go home and plant a crop and 
we must proceed to build up our country . on a new 
basis." 

Lee bitterly hated the thought of being defeated and 
forced to surrender, but he did not dread it enough to 
let it keep him from doing his duty. Once he said, 
' ' How easily I could get rid of this and be at res t ! I have 
only to ride along the Knes and all will be over. But it 
is our duty to live for the women and children of the 
South." Again he said, " Human virtue should be equal 
to human calamity." Some one asked him what his- 
tory would say of his surrender. ''That is not the 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 169 

question," he replied. ''The question is, Is it right? 
If it is right, I will take all the responsibility." 

Lee always loved a joke. Even in all the pain of 
defeat and failure, he would sometimes have a dry joke. 
On the morning before the surrender, General Wise, one 
of Lee's officers, bathed his face in some water that was 
red with mud. He had no towel, and so when his face 
became dry, the mud had stuck on it and left it red. He 
then came walking out of his tent with a large blanket 
thrown over his shoulders. Lee said to him as he 
approached the group of officers in which he was stand- 
ing, ''Good morning, General Wise, I see that you, at 
any rate, have not given up the contest, as you are in 
your war paint this morning." This caused a hearty 
laugh at General Wise because he looked, indeed, very 
much like an Indian. 

When Lee saw that all hope of escape was cut off, he 
felt that it was his duty to his men to yield. Accord- 
ingly he sent a flag of truce and asked for a meeting with 
General Grant to discuss the terms of surrender. The 
two commanders met at a house near Appomattox, on 
April 9. General Lee wore a new uniform and had a 
fine sword at his side. He looked very handsome. He 
showed his usual firmness and dignity, and there was no 
trace of bad temper on his face. 

The terms of surrender were soon agreed upon and 
written out. The men and officers were paroled on a 



lyo ROBERT E. LEE 

pledge not to take up arms again until they should be 
properly exchanged. They were allowed to retain their 
side arms and private property. General Grant said 
the men might need their horses for the spring plowing, 
so they were permitted to keep these also. All other 
property was surrendered, and the army was to be dis- 
banded. Grant found out that Lee's men were almost 
starving, and so he at once ordered rations sent to the 
Confederates. 

Grant afterwards said, " I felt like anything else rather 
than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought 
so long and valiantly and suffered so much for their 
cause." A Confederate officer who was present at the 
meeting of these two great soldiers has said that Grant's 
whole aim seemed to be to soften for Lee the bitterness 
of defeat and to soothe his feelings as far as he could. 
Lee himself said to some of his officers, ''General Grant 
has acted with magnanimity." 

When the interview with Grant was over, Lee went 
back to his men. When they saw him, their glad shouts 
of welcome soon died to a sad silence as they remem- 
bered what his mission had been. Then Lee with bared 
head and with tears flowing down his strong face said 
to them, ''Soldiers, we have fought through the war 
together. I have done the best for you I could. My 
heart is too full to say more." He next gave orders for 
the disbanding of the army so that the men might go 



THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL (1864-1865) 171 

home. A few hours later, he made his last address to 
his brave soldiers. He praised them for what they had 
done. He urged them now to go home and work as 
hard to build up the country as they fought in the war. 
''We must live for our afflicted country," he told them. 

The soldiers had always loved ''Mars Robert," and 
now as they hstened to his last talk to them their hearts 
were sad. They remembered how good he had always 
been to them, and how nobly he had led them through the 
long struggle. They thought of his efforts to care for 
them and of how his own sick wife and his daughters 
had helped to provide socks for their bare feet and 
clothes for their bodies during the hard winter campaign. 
They knew he had not made them fight useless battles, 
but had kept them out of danger where he could. So 
now they crowded about him. Many shed tears at 
the thought of parting from Mars Robert. Hundreds 
tried to reach him to take his hand or to touch him, or 
even his faithful war horse. Traveler. 

Lee was overcome by the grief of his veterans, as he 
thought of how faithful to the cause and how brave they 
had been. He remembered that they had refused to 
allow him to lead them in charges where he would 
have been in danger. He recalled how once, after 
many hours of hard work in the saddle, he had ridden 
on ahead of his army. He had stopped and lain down 
by the roadside to rest for a few minutes and had fallen 



172 



ROBERT E. LEE 



asleep. The army came on up, and when the first of the 
men had seen him, not wishing to awaken him, they 
passed the word along the line, and the whole army 
marched past him so quietly that his slumbers were not 
disturbed. He thought of how uncomplainingly they 
had borne the hardships of war, and he felt that they 
were, ''in their rags and tatters, ill-clad, ill-shod, ill- 
fed, ill-armed," the flower of Southern manhood. 

And then as he rode away from among them, he bared 
his head, and bade them a sad farewell. He went up 
the road to Richmond, and his heart was touched to 
find how proud were the people to see him, and how 
gladly they gave him of what little they had left to eat. 
He said, ''These people are kind — too kind. They 
do too much — more than they are able to do — for us." 
Now, you must remember this was in Virginia, in a 
section where war had left the people almost nothing. 
He stopped to spend one night at a house. The poor 
woman offered him a bed, but he spread his blanket on 
the floor and slept. He could not give up being a sol- 
dier all at once. At another house, he stopped for the 
night, but when bedtime came, he spread his blanket 
in his old army wagon and spent the night there. 

When he reached the outskirts of Richmond, it was 
quickly known to the people that General Lee would soon 
be among them. Hundreds of sad, silent people with 
bared heads gathered along the route that he must take 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 173 

to reach his home. He was returning, not as a trium- 
phant conqueror, but a murmur of approval of his noble 
courage and self-sacrifice ran through the crowd. He 
took off his hat, bowed his head, and rode quietly past 
them to his house. He was never again seen in war 
harness. 

Lee had now been following the business of war for 
nearly forty years. He had fought as well and as long 
as he could in the Civil War. At last it was over and 
he could now rest for a time. 



CHAPTER XI 

THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 

After wishing for so long to be a private citizen, Lee 
now thought he was at last to have his desire. In July, 
1865, he wrote to one of his sons, " If I am not prev'^j^^^ 
by the Federal authorities, I shall try to get to <^"J^g quiet 
place to settle and live happy." He al^o said, ''I am 
looking for a quiet little house in the Woods where I 
can procure shelter and my daily br^ad." As General 
Grant had pledged his honor for the safety of General 
Lee, he was not troubled by rfie Federal government 
for the part he had taken in the war. 

While living in Richmoui, Lee was visited by a great 
many people. Every c/mer to the city wished to look 



174 ROBERT E. LEE 

upon the great commander. Many people offered to 
help him, though he did not feel that he needed help, 
and always refused it. One day two ragged Confeder- 
ates just out of a Federal prison came to see him. They 
said there were sixty other fellows around the corner 
too ragged to come. These two had been sent to offer 
General Lee a home in the mountains of Virginia. " We 
will give you a good house and a fine farm," they said. 
Lee as usual refused kindly, but tears came to his eyes 
as he saw that these men, though poor themselves, 
wished to divide with him. Then there were all sorts 
of requests from people who fancied they needed help, 
and a great many letters came to him. To all of them 
Lee was kind, but he was weary and his wife was ill. 
In order to rest himself and to care for her better, he 
moved to a house in the country that a friend had offered 
him for his use. He was now the nurse of his wife as 
ile\had been of his mother in his boyhood. As his mother 
had tho^ught he was both son and daughter to her, Mrs. 
Lee though L+^^ he was the best and noblest of men. 

Soon after c+he war, many Southerners left the coun- 
try and lived in other parts of the world. But Lee, in 
September, 1865, wrote, ''I look to better days. The 
thought of leaving eihe country is abhorrent, and I 
prefer to struggle for it^-, restoration and share its fate 
rather than give up all as Host." He was urged to enter 
the service of Duke MaximiHavn in Mexico, but he refused 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 175 

to do SO, saying that it would be better for all Southern- 
ers to remain at home. 

About this time, an English nobleman offered to give 
him an estate in England. He urged Lee to accept it as 
suitable to Lee's own merits and the greatness of his 
family. Lee's friends all over the South, at one time 
and another, tried to give him land, money, and stock in 
railroads and banks. But he could not bring his proud, 
independent spirit to accept and use any of these gifts. 

This great man, who had been so careful to secure a 
good education for himself, now looked to education to 
restore the wealth and culture of the South. He thought 
the entire youth of the country should be educated. For 
this reason, when the presidency of Washington College 
was offered to him, he was willing to consider the matter. 
The college was a small one. It had only four profes- 
sors and not more than forty students. Besides, it was 
poorly equipped and in debt. Although it would mean 
hard work and small pay for him, he finally accepted, 
"in the hope," as he said, "of doing something for the 
benefit of the young men of the South." 

After he had agreed to become president of Wash- 
ington College, he was asked to take the presidency of 
a Hfe insurance company. Although the salary was fifty 
thousand dollars a year, he refused the place because 
he had made up his mind to give the rest of his life 
to educating young men. The people who made this 




176 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 177 

offer thought he refused because there would be too 
much work to do in such a position. So they said, 
''But, General, you will not be expected to do any 
work; what we wish is the use of your name." Lee 
then asked, "Do you not think if my name is worth 
fifty thousand dollars a year, I ought to be very careful 
of it ? " He then pohtely declined the position, saying, 
''I am grateful, but I have a self-imposed task which I 
must accomplish. I have led the young men of the 
South in battle ; I have seen many of them die on the 
field. I shall devote my remaining energies to train- 
ing young men to do their duty in life." 

In October, it was time for General Lee to take up his 
college duties. So he mounted his war horse. Traveler, 
and rode away to Lexington, the seat of the college. 
On the second of October, he took the oath of office, 
and was then a college president. 

It was his earnest wish to make Washington College 
a great seat of learning, and for this he was well fitted. 
His own military training had given him regular and 
exact habits, and his force of character enabled him to 
impress these habits on students and on his fellow-pro- 
fessors. He made plans for several improvements, and 
worked hard at his task. The greatness of his name 
soon drew large numbers of students from all parts of 
the South. The faculty was increased, and before long 
the college had become a large and flourishing one. 

TWO GREAT SOUTHERNERS — I 2 



178 ROBERT E. LEE 

During his first year as president of the college, seeing 
that the chapel was too small for all the students, he took 
steps to have a larger one built. He had the plan drawn 
for it under his own supervision, and then he did not 
rest till the chapel was finished. 

General Lee enjoyed his work as a teacher and wrote 
thus to a friend about it, "For my own part, I enjoy the 
charms of civil life and find, too late, that I have wasted 
the best years of my life." 

President Lee gave very close attention to his duties 
and knew even the smallest details of the college busi- 
ness. He even knew all the students by name. One 
morning when the roll was called, there was one name 
that he could not remember ever having heard before. 
He tried to recall its owner, but he could not. At last 
he asked one of the other professors who the student 
with the new name was. He then learned that this 
student had entered college during the president's 
absence. 

In Washington College, it had always been the custom 
for the president and the professors to watch the students 
very closely in order to find out any mischief they might 
do. President Lee did not like this plan and began 
what is called the honor system. Each student was 
trusted to do right on his own responsibility. This en- 
couraged them to do right, because they knew they were 
expected to do so, and soon there was a great change 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 179 

for the better in the students of the college. And thus 
they became known as especially gentlemanly, high- 
toned, and honorable. 

Whenever a young man got into the habit of faiHng 
to prepare his work, he was usually sent to General 
Lee, who would give him a talk. Lee was very kind to 
such students, but he could be very firm and positive, 
too, when it was necessary. 

A certain student came late to his classes for several 
days. One morning after the chapel exercises. General 
Lee met him on the campus, just coming to his work. 
He spoke pleasantly to the student, who raised his cap. 
General Lee then said to him, ''Tell your aunt I say 
will she please have breakfast a little earlier for you.'' 
His manner was so kind, and the student felt so ashamed 
that his aunt should seemingly be blamed for his tardi- 
ness, that he made up his mind not to be late again. 

One year, a rule was made by the college officers that 
Christmas day was to be the only holiday the students 
were to have at this season. As they had been used to 
having a week or more, the students did not like this 
rule. So a great many of them got together and wrote 
out a paper against it. Then they signed their names 
to the paper and tacked it to a tree on the campus. In 
this paper they had declared they would not get their 
lessons nor attend the professors' classes during Christ- 
mas week. 



i8o ROBERT E. LEE 

General Lee soon learned of their action. Then he 
said that if the young men tried to carry out their reso- 
lution, he would expel every student, lock up the col- 
lege, and put the key in his pocket. It was amusing 
how fast the students tried to get their names off the 
paper. The attendance at the classes is said to have 
been unusually good that Christmas week. 

One of Lee's greatest pleasures and his chief means of 
rest while he lived at Lexington was riding his war horse. 
Traveler, about the country. He often took with him 
some of the little daughters of the professors. They 
were always delighted to go with him. Once he car- 
ried two little girls to ride, one of whom had mumps. 
General Lee pretended great fear that Traveler would 
have the disease, asking, ''What shall I do for him if 
he gets mumps?" The little girls thought this very 
funny, and tried to tell him how to cure the disease, but, 
of course. Traveler was never bothered with it. 

This horse was a very fine and beautiful one. He 
was iron-gray in color with black mane and tail. He 
was full of fire, and when excited, hard to manage. 
Once during the war, the general had dismounted to 
rest, and was sitting on a log with the reins over his 
arm when Traveler became frightened, reared, jerked 
at the bridle, and then suddenly dashed away. His 
master was thrown to the ground, both his hands were 
hurt, and some small bones broken in one of them. 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT i8i 

It was six weeks before the general could go without his 
hand in a sHng, but he did not lose his love for his horse 
or his confidence in him. At another time when the 
horse had been left tied by his master, he became fright- 
ened, broke away, and ran off. When General Lee 
came back, a great crowd had gathered and was trying 
to catch the general's horse for him. Lee asked them 
please to be quiet. He then stepped out where he could 
be seen by the horse and gave a whistle. Traveler 
heard him and at once came trotting back to his master. 

Lee often rode out among the farms about Lexing- 
ton. He might sometimes be seen sitting on Traveler, 
talking with some farmer about the crops, the weather, 
and the outlook for a plentiful harvest for the year. 
This was one of the general's favorite pleasures. As 
he could not now have a farm of his own to look after, 
he found happiness in other people's farms. 

With all his duties and cares, Lee did not fail to love 
his pets and to care for them to the last. At Lexington 
he had two cats named Baxter and Tom the Nipper. 
Tom got his name from being so quick to "nip" the 
rats and mice about the house. One night when it was 
cold and stormy. General Lee was awakened to hear 
Tom outside begging to be let in. The general got 
up and opened the window, but still Tom could not 
get in. The window wa? too high for him. Then the 
general took Mrs. Lee's crutch and reached it as far 



i82 ROBERT E. LEE 

out as he could. Tom climbed on to the end of it and 
was lifted into the warm room. No doubt the cat was 
grateful for such kindness. 

General Lee always loved children. He had a little 
boy friend at Lexington. During one of the com- 
mencements of the college, when every one was ex- 
pected to be on grand behavior, this little boy saw 
General Lee sitting in the place of honor on the rostrum. 
As he wished to sit with his friend, the general, he 
slipped away from his mother and climbed upon the 
platform. He found his way to Lee and took his place 
beside him and finally climbed into Lee's lap, all un- 
conscious that he should have acted at all otherwise. 

General Lee himself was greatly loved by all the sol- 
diers who had ever served under him. After the war, 
an old soldier, who had been under Lee in the Second 
Regiment of the United States cavalry in Texas, heard 
that Lee was very poor and in want. This soldier had 
fought on the Union side, but he could not bear to 
think that his old commander might be in need, so he 
got a basket, and having filled it with provisions, car- 
ried it to General Lee. When he saw Lee, he was so glad 
that he seized him in his arms and kissed him. Lee 
was grateful to him for the provisions, but more so for 
his kindness, and he said to the man, " If you have more 
food or money than you need, give it to the poor, crip- 
pled Confederate soldiers.'' 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 183 

Lee was once seen at his yard gate in Lexington, 
talking with an old man, who seemed very much pleased 
with the notice he was receiving from so great a soldier. 
At last the old man went away, his manner showing 
that he was in high spirits. General Lee, on being 
asked who the man was, replied, ''That is one of our 
old soldiers who is needy. He fought on the other side, 
but we must not think of that." It was afterwards 
learned that Lee not only had spoken kindly to the 
soldier, but had helped him with money. 

You see that it seemed impossible for Lee to dislike 
any one. Once when some one spoke unkindly of the 
Union soldiers and the Northern people, Lee said, ''How 
can you speak such things ? There has not been a day 
since the war began that I have not prayed for them." 
After one of the battles of the war, General Lee was 
riding over the field. A Federal soldier who was near 
by, lying wounded on the ground, saw Lee as he was 
going past him. The young Federal shouted, "Hurrah 
for the Union !" and Lee then rode up to where the 
boy was lying. The young soldier afterward said he 
was certain that Lee was going to kill him, but the gen- 
eral got down from his horse, gave him his hand, and 
said, "My son, I hope you will soon be well." After 
Lee rode away, the young fellow, there on the bloody 
ground, cried himself to sleep, thinking of such unex- 
pected goodness and kindness. 



i84 ROBERT E. LEE 

There were few men who laid aside the war and its 
bitter memories more completely than General Lee. A 
lady once came to Lexington to place her sons in college. 
While talking to the general, she spoke harshly of the 
North. Now, although Lee had fought the North 
as hard as he could, he never spoke unkindly of those 
who had been his foes, nor did he like to hear others do 
so. So he said to the lady, ''Madam, do not train up 
your children in hostility to the government of the 
United States. Remember that we are one country 
now. Dismiss from your mind all sectional feeling 
and bring them up to be Americans." 

During one of his campaigns in Virginia, General 
Lee had taken a very severe cold, which made his 
throat sore. Treat it as he would, it seemed that he 
could not cure it. By October of 1869, his throat had 
become badly affected and was giving him a great deal 
of pain and trouble. The next spring, the doctors 
persuaded him to go farther south, to Georgia and Flor- 
ida, hoping a warmer climate would relieve him. At 
last he agreed to go. But he knew his absence would 
add to the work of the other professors. So in order 
that a new president might be elected to perform the 
duties of that office, he resigned. But as the other 
professors were glad to do Lee's work, the trustees of the 
college would not accept his resignation. 

His daughter, Agnes, went with him on this trip. 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 185 

He was gladly welcomed in the South, and great crowds 
gathered at all the railway stations where he was to 
pass. They brought loads of fruit and all sorts of deli- 
cacies for the great general. Agnes said the people 
seemed to want to kill them with good things to eat. 
The people would want him to come out on the plat- 
form of the coach so they could see him. But Lee was 
modest, as he always had been, and did not like to do 
so. At one place where the crowd was clamoring to see 
him, he asked, ''Why should they wish to see me? 
I am only a poor old Confederate." 

He stayed in Georgia and Florida for several months, 
but he got no better. In the summer, he went back to 
Virginia and then visited the Hot Springs in that State. 
Here again his throat got no better. Then he went 
back to his old home and spent a few days. He said 
his visits to Florida and the Hot Springs helped him 
very little, but it did him good to go to the old place 
and see the mules walking around and the corn growing. 

In September, 1870, he again took up his college duties. 
While he had been away, the trustees had set aside a 
large sum of money to build Lee a good home at Lex- 
ington, and to give him three thousand dollars every 
year. As usual Lee refused the money altogether, but 
agreed to live in the house as the official home of the 
college president. 

General Lee was a member of the Protestant Episco- 



i86 ROBERT E. LEE 

pal church at Lexington, and always was very faithful 
to his religious duties. One cloudy, damp afternoon in 
October, he went to a business meeting of the church, 
the object of which was to increase the pastor's salary. 
When the meeting was nearly ready to close, not enough 
money to raise the salary had been made up. General 
Lee quietly agreed to pay what was lacking in addition 
to the large share he already was paying. He then 
went home. He had worn his military cloak over his 
other clothes, but still the dampness of the room had 
made him cold and chilly. 

When he reached his house, he found his family 
waiting supper for him. He came into the dining room 
and was just going to ask a blessing on the evening meal, 
but he found that he could not speak a word. So he 
silently took his place at the table. He was removed 
to his bed and a physician was sent for. 

Everything possible was done for the general, but he 
steadily grew worse. His physician said to him, " Gen- 
eral, you must make haste and get well ; Traveler has 
been standing so long in his stable that he needs exer- 
cise." General Lee did not speak, but he shook his 
head, for he knew that he could never ride the dear old 
war horse again. 

He lingered on his bed until the 12th of October, when 
he died. Toward the last he could speak a little. His 
mind seemed to be with the past, probably fighting over 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 187 

again some of his great battles, for once he said, "Tell 
Hill he must come up," and his last words, ''Strike the 
tent," seemed to show that he was again passing through 
some of the great and glorious days of his life. He did 
not speak much, however, and for the most part, the 
silence in the room was unbroken. Thus the old hero 
quietly breathed his last. 

On the next day, his body was borne to the college 
chapel. In the front of the procession marched a 
guard of old Confederates. The clergyman came sec- 
ond. The hearse was next, just behind which Traveler 
in full equipment and wearing crepe was led by two old 
soldiers. Behind these followed a long line made up of 
the trustees, faculty, and cadets of the college, and citi- 
zens of the town. 

His body lay in state on the platform for two days. 
His face was left uncovered, and thousands came to 
look at it for the last time. The children came too, and 
seemed to grieve more, if possible, than any one else. 
Then he was buried in the college chapel with the simple 
burial service of his church and a military salute from 
the college guns. He was sorely missed, and people 
all over America grieved for him. 

Even at the time of his death, General Lee had al- 
ready taken his place as one of the greatest, the best, and 
the noblest of all Americans. The London Standard, 
a great English newspaper, said, ''A country^ which 



i88 ROBERT E. LEE 

has given birth to men Hke him, and those who followed 
him, may look the chivalry of Europe in the face with- 
out shame, for the fatherlands of Sidney and Bayard 
never produced a nobler soldier and Christian than 
General Robert E. Lee." 

His birthday is now celebrated as a holiday in the 
South as well as in other parts of the country. On 
that day, banks and other business houses close. 
Schools and colleges celebrate the day with speeches, 
papers, and grand orations, commemorating his valor 
and his virtues. 

Washington College, of which Lee had been president, 
was founded by General George Washington. After 
the Revolution closed, the people of Virginia wished to 
show the great love they bore Washington. They 
therefore gave him some very valuable bonds. As he 
was rich and did not need them he would not accept 
the bonds for himself, but knowing the Virginians 
meant a kindness, he would not hurt their feelings by 
entirely refusing the gift. So he proposed that the 
bonds be used to found a school. This met with favor, 
and Washington College was built and named for him. 
It flourished but went down during the Civil War. 
Because Lee did so much to rebuild it, the trustees, 
after he died, decided that it should bear Lee's name 
along with that of Washington, so that it is now 
Washington and Lee University. There is a monu- 



THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT 



189 



ment to Lee at the University, and also a fine one at 
Richmond. 

Benjamin Harvey Hill was a great Georgian who knew 
and loved Lee. Perhaps there could be no more fitting 
close to this book than Hill's tribute to his friend. You 




LEE MONUMENT AT WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY 



may not now quite understand it all, but if you will 
read it carefully, I think you will agree that it was a 
fine thing to say. Of Lee, Hill said, ''He possessed 
every \irtue of other great commanders without their 
vices. He was a foe without hate; a friend without 
treachery ; a soldier without cruelty ; a victor without 
oppression ; and a victim without murmuring. He was 
a public officer without vices ; a private citizen with- 



igo ROBERT E. LEE 

out wrong ; a neighbor without reproach ; a Christian 
without hypocrisy ; and a man without guile. He was 
Caesar without his ambition ; Frederick, without his 
tyranny ; Napoleon, without his selfishness ; and Wash- 
ington, without his reward. He was obedient to au- 
thority as a servant, and royal in authority as a true 
king. He was gentle as a woman in life ; modest and 
pure as a virgin in thought ; watchful as a Roman vestal 
in duty ; submissive to law as Socrates ; and grand in 
battle as Achilles." 



THE LEE READERS 

By EDNA HENRY LEE 



First Book $0.25 Third Book $0.40 

Second Book 30 Fourth Book 50 

Fifth Book ^0.60 



THE author and compiler of these books is a Southern 
teacher of experience, who has made a special study of 
the needs and possibilities of Southern schools. Without 
giving undue prominence to Southern literature and history, 
she has endeavored to present for study and admiration some 
of the worthiest efforts and achievements of the South. But, 
although the series has a distinctly Southern tone, it is never- 
theless free from narrowness and partisan bias. 
^ In this basal series of readers the chief aim is to teach the 
child how to read, and to do this pleasantly, thoroughly, and 
without unnecessary expenditure of time and labor. At the 
same time there is included a definite, practical, and progres- 
sive plan of study of literature, art, and nature. The series 
is carefully graded, and the contents of the different books 
are particularly adapted to the grades for which they are 
designed. Each volume contains a carefully chosen vocabu- 
lary, appropriate reading material, language exercises, nature 
studies, and beautiful illustrations. In the earliest books there 
is a pleacing variety of famous fables, poems, and stories, 
which tell about interesting people, animals, birds, and flowers. 
More advanced and instructive selections are included in the 
later volumes. 

^ The study of literature has been made one of the most 
important features, and each book contains noteworthy ex- 
tracts from the greatest writings in English and American 
literature. Before each selection a brief biographical sketch of 
its author is given. Throughout the series art is studied sys- 
teniatically — a feature not found in other school readers. 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 

C7) 



MAURY'S 
NEW GEOGRAPHIES 



New Elements of Geography ^0-55 

New Complete Geography ^■'^S 



THESE new geographies provide a particularly service- 
able knowledge of geography. They present a max- 
imum number of important and useful facts, and a 
minimum amount of scientific discussion. The treatment is 
simple and well proportioned, and the style easy and interest- 
ing. Throughout, the work has been made as attractive as 
possible. Every pedagogical feature of service to teachers is 
abundantly supplied. In the New Elements of Geography 
every lesson is given in the form of an interesting story. 
^ Industrial and commercial geography receive much more 
attention than is customary in books of this class. Important 
information of this character is brought out from time to time 
in the text, and also by the remarkable series of illustrations 
inserted at frequent intervals. At the close of the New Com- 
plete Geography is a supplement of 34 pages devoted entirely 
to lessons in commercial geography. Physical geography is 
treated chiefly in connection with each continent and sub- 
division. The part on mathematical geography is illustrated 
so graphically by diagrams as to require but Httle text. 
^ The illustrations are especially numerous and illuminating, 
and many of them are so arranged as to give a moving-picture 
effect. Besides the usual illustrations of places and peoples 
every effort has been made to show systematically and vividly 
the various stages in the physiographic development, the 
occupations of different peoples, the important processes 
of manufacture, and the chief routes of transportation. Under 
each illustration is given, in the place of the ordinary brief 
legend, such a full description as will render further explana- 
tion in the text unnecessary. 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 

("4) 



EB 1 1912 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





